With residents flocking to Toronto’s parks now that warmer spring temperatures have arrived, the TTC has launched a pilot project that will provide new, direct bus access to Bluffer’s Park and the Scarborough Bluffs.
However, the buses will only run every 15 to 20 minutes between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays between Sunday and Oct. 8.
The 175 Bluffer’s Park buses will leave Kennedy subway station, operate on Eglinton Avenue East and Brimley Road and end beside the main building at the beach.
Bluffer’s Park and Beach, which is located at the base of the Scarborough Bluffs, opened in 1975. It’s located at the south end of Brimley Road. Lack of vehicle parking, the distance from Kingston Road and no sidewalks have been cited as challenges for those trying to access the park.
The pilot project was approved by the TTC board during its January meeting. A report on the trial service is scheduled to be reviewed by the board at the end of the year and officials will determine if it should return or be expanded.
READ MORE: Frequent TTC riders dissatisfied with service, concerned with overcrowding, poll finds
During the times when the new service isn’t running, the 12 Kingston bus is the closest route to Bluffer’s Park. It travels east-west on Kingston Road, west of Brimley Road, and north-south on Brimley Road.
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The new bus route comes amid a broader push to improve transit access in the area and along Kingston Road. A petition started earlier this year, which now has more than 2,100 signatures, is calling for a new, continuous bus route to run along the entire stretch of Kingston Road in Scarborough. Currently several routes loop south and only use parts of the road before heading back north.
Meanwhile, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) issued a statement last week reminding anyone visiting the Scarborough Bluffs to use caution at the top of the escarpment and at the base.
Last month there were two landslides near the Doris McCarthy Trail and the Guild construction route and officials said crews are cleaning up the debris.
“Landslides along the Scarborough Bluffs occur every year, all year long. The bluff erosion along this section of shoreline is a result of surface water flowing over the bluff edge, groundwater moving through the bluff face and wave action at the bottom of the bluff pulling material away, causing slumping,” the statement read.
READ MORE: Risk of ‘significant’ landslides, shoreline erosion at Scarborough Bluffs, TRCA says
Officials urged residents to adhere to signage and fencing posted in certain areas near the Bluffs.
A City of Toronto spokesperson told Global News 45 tickets were issued in 2017 by bylaw officers to those who entered areas blocked off. The spokesperson said further enforcement will occur this year.
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