John Tory spoke Thursday (November 27, 2014) promising to restore service to certain bus lines which were reduced during the time of Rob Ford. Two of the lines to lose vehicles in 2011 were the 11 Bayview and the 81 Thorncliffe. The mayor-elect did not list the lines that will be restored. He was flanked at City Hall for “state-of-the-City” remarks by Andy Byford, chief general manager of the TTC and City Manager Joe Pennachetti. Mr Tory talked about how the city is coping under “severe fiscal pressures” and the challenges he faces as mayor in the next four years. He touched on growing poverty and unemployment, as well as rising demand for housing and shelter solutions. He mentioned the deteriorating infrastructure and how it’s leading to more basement flooding. “It’s a big problem affecting thousands of people,” Tory said. The new mayor seemed intent on casting the issues as crisis-like. As to transit, Mr. Tory said the TTC is still “reeling” from the cuts made by the Ford administration. In South Bayview neighborhoods like South Leaside, Bennington Heights, Moore Park and Deer Park many may feel renewed hope from the remarks. They seek a bus service to provide access to the Bayview Ave. shopping neighborhood. The absence of service from residential areas south of the stores and businesses around Bayview and Millwood Rd. has been a long-time source of dissatisfatrion. Such a service would benefit merchants and seem to be an important matter for the as-yet unformed Business Improvement Association. South Bayview bus routes hit by cuts A fix for the TTC dead zone on Bayview Ave.
