The Scarborough Busway is due to open on September 30, 2026. It is not open yet as of our September 5 check. The TTC expects a trip between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre to take about 15 minutes once it opens. That is a forecast, not a trip time we have tested.
Our verdict: this should be most useful if you already travel between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre. Taking buses out of traffic is a sensible improvement. But it does not remove every street section, wait or transfer. Don't change your class schedule around a promised saving yet.
The best alternative for a trip downtown is the route that reaches your actual destination with the fewest delays. That can mean comparing GO with the TTC. GO is not automatically cheaper, and Union is not the right arrival point for every campus.
The big catch: a new bus road does not mean every Scarborough bus will use it. Check your exact route, branch and direction. The final opening route list and boarding details were not confirmed in the opening release we checked.
What is confirmed, and what still needs checking?
The TTC's August 20 opening announcement says the project remains on track for September 30. Full testing is planned for early September.
| Detail | Status on September 5 | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| September 30 opening | Announced target | Keep using the current route until service starts |
| About 15 minutes, Kennedy to Scarborough Centre | TTC projection | Do not treat it as a door-to-door time |
| About seven minutes saved | TTC projection | Your whole trip can gain less if waits or transfers change |
| Kennedy to Ellesmere corridor | Confirmed project geography | This is the part built on the former RT route |
| Tara Avenue/Mooregate, Lawrence East and Ellesmere stops | Named in the opening announcement | Check the final entrance and direction before boarding |
| Buses continuing toward Scarborough Centre | Confirmed plan | The trip includes a street section beyond Ellesmere |
| Every route and branch using the busway | Not settled by the opening release | Use final TTC route notices, not an old diagram |
| Measured crowding, winter comfort and reliability | Not yet available | These need checks after public service starts |
Our ratings below describe how useful the confirmed plan looks for a particular trip. They are editorial judgements, not rider review scores or results from a test ride.
Strong fit: an existing Kennedy to Scarborough Centre commute. Conditional fit: a trip needing a bus beyond the busway, or a walk to an intermediate stop. Poor reason to switch: a route that goes out of your way simply to use the new road.
The TTC project page contains material from different stages of the project. Read dates carefully. An old route list or service promise is not a final September 2026 timetable.
Kennedy: make the subway-to-bus transfer work
1. Allow time to reach the bus boarding area
Kennedy is the southern end of the new corridor and a Line 2 connection. The 15-minute projection starts with the bus journey. It does not start when your subway reaches Kennedy.
Build your plan in parts: leave the train, reach the correct boarding area, wait for a suitable bus, ride, then walk to your destination. A quick bus ride cannot cancel a missed connection. Choose a departure with room for all of those steps.
2. Check the branch as well as the route number
A letter can change where a bus goes. Save the full name shown in the TTC route planner, including its branch and direction.
At a busy terminal, several buses can look like reasonable choices. Read the destination sign before joining a queue. If your stop is beyond Scarborough Centre, a through bus can save a transfer, but only when its published route actually goes there.
3. Use a current station map
Start with the Kennedy station page. Check station notices and signs when you arrive. The map below shows the station area. It is not a diagram of the final September 30 bus bays.
For a first trip, save a screenshot of the official route instructions before leaving home. Then check the signs on site. A saved map is useful when a phone connection is poor, but a newer closure notice takes priority.
4. Check the accessible route before an important trip
A route that works for someone taking stairs may be much slower for someone using a lift. Check TTC service alerts for lift and escalator problems as well as bus disruptions.
If you need step-free access, ask about the full path from your subway platform to the bus stop. Do not judge that path from a construction photo. The best route is the one you can use from end to end.
Kennedy verdict: the strongest starting point for someone already on Line 2. Leave extra transfer time during the first days of the new service.
Tara, Lawrence East and Ellesmere: check the walk as well as the ride
5. Tara Avenue/Mooregate is an extra access point to learn
The opening announcement names a stop at Tara Avenue/Mooregate Avenue. That creates a useful question for nearby residents: is walking to this stop simpler than taking another bus to Kennedy?
Compare the actual walking route from your door, not a straight line on the map. Check which side of the corridor you need and where the marked crossing leads. The photograph near the top shows construction, not a finished public entrance.
6. Do not use the old Lawrence East building as your boarding plan
The new stop is part of a bus project. It does not mean the old RT station has reopened as it was. The archive photo above helps identify the area, but it is not proof of an open entrance.
If you arrive along Lawrence, confirm the final connecting stop and walking route in the TTC's launch instructions. Don't cross the bus road or railway to shorten the walk. Follow the marked public route even if an app draws a tempting line through the site.
7. Ellesmere is where the trip changes character
The dedicated corridor reaches Ellesmere. From there, the trip toward Scarborough Centre uses the road network and bus priority measures. It is not a separate bus road all the way to the terminal.
That matters when judging the project. Buses can avoid a long stretch of traffic and still face signals or delays on the final leg. Expect an improvement in one part of the journey, not the removal of every delay in Scarborough.
8. Test the full walking route in both directions
The easiest morning entrance may not be the easiest route home after dark. Check lighting, crossings, slopes and the final path to your street. A bus stop name alone will not tell you those things.
For someone with limited walking energy, a slightly slower bus with a shorter walk can be the better choice. Try the new route on a low-pressure day after it opens. Keep your old option until you know the new one works for you.
Intermediate-stop verdict: promising for nearby homes, but the final walk is the deal-breaker. The maps above locate the stop areas. They do not mark approved crossings or exact new platform entrances.
Scarborough Centre: the terminal is not always the end of your trip
9. Check the September 6 change separately
The September service adjustments include a change to the northbound 903A. It uses Triton Road, McCowan Road and Consilium Place instead of Bushby Drive and Grangeway Avenue.
The TTC says the Bushby Drive at McCowan Road stop, ID 9610, is removed from the 903A. It names the 9 Bellamy as an alternative there. This change starts September 6. It is not the busway opening, and it should not be described as one.
10. Measure the walk from the terminal to your building
Use Scarborough Centre station information and your destination's entrance. “Near STC” can cover very different walks.
A job on the far side of a large road, a college building and a store inside the mall are different destinations. Add the walk and any indoor route to your arrival plan. For a shift or exam, the time you reach the correct door is what counts.
11. Campus buses need their own timetable check
The TTC's September 2 back-to-school release lists improvements on routes including the 38B, 938, 102A, 830 and 903A. Those are service changes from September 6, not a complete list of busway routes.
Use your exact campus building in the planner. Save the best route for the hour you actually travel. A weekday morning result is not enough for an evening lab, Saturday class or reading week visit.
12. Do not rely on an unconfirmed through bus
A bus that once ran through to Kennedy might have a different terminal later. An online suggestion that a route will be shortened is not proof that it has happened.
Before the opening, check your route page again. Look for the effective date and both directions. If a through ride becomes a transfer, that extra wait can eat into the time saved on the busway. Pick your route from the full journey, not one attractive section.
Scarborough Centre verdict: a useful hub, but students should plan to their classroom. “Fifteen minutes to STC” is not “fifteen minutes to campus.”
Time, fares and the everyday trade-offs
13. Treat seven minutes as a forecast
The TTC's August 21 executive update gives an expected saving of seven minutes per trip. That figure is useful for understanding the aim of the project. It is not a guarantee for every rider.
For a three-day campus week, six trips at seven minutes would save 42 minutes. Five return trips would save 70 minutes. Those are simple examples. They assume the forecast is achieved on every leg and that your other waits do not change.
14. Compare consistency, not just the fastest run
A route that usually arrives within a small time range can be more useful than one with an occasional very fast trip. Record a few normal journeys after opening. Note when you leave home, board, transfer and reach your destination.
Include at least one busy trip in each direction. Keep rain and disruption days in the record rather than hiding them. This is a better personal test than timing an empty bus once and calling it the new normal.
15. Keep your fare method consistent
Use the same fare method for a journey and check the current TTC fares and passes rules. A phone wallet and the physical bank card behind it are not always treated as the same payment token.
Our TTC fare-capping guide explains the monthly limit and who it covers. Don't buy a fare product just because a busway is opening. First work out how often you will travel and which discounts you qualify for.
16. Compare GO only when it suits your destination
For some downtown trips, a GO option deserves a look. Compare the total fare, service times, station walk and any TTC connection. A cheaper bus trip with one transfer can beat a train that leaves you far from class.
Use our GO commute cost guide to build the price comparison. Keep the GO fare in the budget. A transfer discount does not make an entire GO journey free.
Cost and comfort verdict: the busway's main potential gain is a better journey. It is not a new student discount. Keep fare savings and time savings as separate calculations.
Four more checks before you change your routine
17. Plan the return after a late class
Search for the time you will actually leave campus. If class ends at 10 p.m., add time to pack up and walk to the stop. A last useful connection can leave before you reach it.
Save an alternative before your first late evening. Our guide to getting home after the subway closes explains why the night network needs a separate plan. Do not assume daytime busway service tells you the overnight route.
18. Check roadworks outside the busway
The new corridor cannot solve a detour on the bus you take to reach it. Check the route alerts for both your first and last legs, especially if your trip crosses other Scarborough construction areas.
If the planner gives two reasonable routes, compare their transfers and walking distance. Keep a second route saved for a missed bus or road closure. Don't promise yourself the same arrival time every day during a major network change.
19. Keep walking and cycling on public routes
The busway is transport infrastructure, not a new public cycle trail. Use designated paths and crossings. Do not enter the road for a photograph, a shortcut or a race with a bus.
If you want to see it with a child who likes buses, wait for public service and choose an ordinary passenger trip. The City's 2025 design report explains the planned route and road connections. It is not a visitor access permit or a final opening map.
20. Recheck on the day you first use it
Read the latest TTC notice, check your saved route and look for a changed stop. Give yourself extra time. If the opening moves, keep using the current service until the TTC confirms the new operation.
After a week or two of normal trips, decide whether it works better. Choose it if it reliably saves time or removes an awkward transfer. Keep your former route if the extra walk or changed connection makes your day harder.
What is not confirmed yet?
As of September 5, we have not verified a final opening list of every route and branch, exact first-service time, all boarding bays, or measured journey times. Our confidence in the announced target is high because it comes from the TTC. Confidence in the promised time saving is lower until there is real passenger service data.
Route cutbacks, new branches and the future of every bus lane on nearby streets need their own dated notices. The busway's long-term use after a subway extension also needs a current service plan. We are not treating discussion of those changes as a confirmed timetable.
Weather, vehicle problems, final testing and revised operating plans could change what riders experience. Check the dated TTC sources above before the first trip. This guide describes a project approaching opening, not a service we have ridden.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Scarborough Busway open?
The TTC announced September 30, 2026 as the planned opening date. As of September 5, it has not opened for public service. Check the latest TTC notice before travelling specifically to use it.
Does the busway go all the way to Scarborough Centre?
Buses are planned to connect Kennedy and Scarborough Centre. The dedicated corridor runs from Kennedy to Ellesmere, followed by a road section toward Scarborough Centre. That last part is important when judging likely delays.
Is the Scarborough RT reopening?
This project uses part of the former RT corridor for buses. It is not a return of the old RT trains. Do not use a former RT platform or entrance as your boarding plan.
Which bus routes will use the Scarborough Busway?
The opening announcement says multiple routes will use it, but does not give a final route-and-branch list. Check the TTC's latest route pages and dated launch notices. Older project lists should not be treated as the final September 2026 service plan.
Will Kennedy to Scarborough Centre take 15 minutes?
About 15 minutes is the TTC's projected bus journey time. It is not a tested guarantee or a door-to-door time. Add your walk, wait and transfers when planning an arrival.
Can I use the busway from the first day of school?
The September 6 service changes take effect before the planned September 30 opening. For early September, plan with the current bus network. Do not assume the busway is ready because back-to-school service has changed.
Are the new stops the same as the old RT stations?
The project includes new outdoor bus stops along the corridor. A familiar station name does not prove the old building or platform is in use. Follow the final TTC entrance and boarding instructions.
Is it worth changing my commute for the busway?
Start by comparing the whole trip after service begins. It looks most useful for someone already travelling between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre. If reaching it adds a long walk or another transfer, your existing route can still be the better choice.