Common Questions
Straight answers to what Torontonians keep looking up — TTC lines and fares, One Fare transfers, bike lanes, renting, 311.
Quick, sourced answers to the questions that keep coming up — transit, fares, bike lanes, renting and city services. Every answer was checked on June 12, 2026.
Which TTC subway and LRT lines are open?
Five of six: Line 1 Yonge–University, Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, Line 4 Sheppard, Line 5 Eglinton (opened February 8, 2026) and Line 6 Finch West (opened December 7, 2025) are all running.
Line 3 Scarborough closed permanently in July 2023; replacement buses run along the corridor until a dedicated busway opens, scheduled for the end of September 2026. For live alerts, see the TTC line status tool on this site.
Is Line 5 Eglinton actually faster than the buses it replaced?
Yes. End to end, the trip is roughly 50–55 minutes versus about 105 minutes on the buses it replaced. The fair complaint is the surface section east of Laird, where trains slow through intersections and can sit at red lights.
It is getting quicker: signal priority changes since March 2026 have cut afternoon-peak round trips by up to 10 minutes, per TTC data, and the city is rolling out further signal work ("phase rotation") through 2026.
Is Line 6 Finch West still slower than the 36 bus?
It started out that way — at launch, trips ran 50+ minutes against a projected 33–34, initially slower than the bus it replaced.
Signal priority installed since March 2026 has cut afternoon-peak round trips by up to 20 minutes, per TTC data, so the line is now meaningfully faster than at launch, with more signal work coming through 2026.
Do I pay twice when I transfer between the TTC and GO or a 905 system?
No. Under Ontario's One Fare program, transfers between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, MiWay, Durham Region Transit and York Region Transit are free when you pay with the same PRESTO card or credit/debit card — within a two-hour window for local systems and three hours for GO. A TTC–GO transfer saves $3.30 a trip.
The province extended the program's funding for two more years in December 2025.
Did TTC fares go up in 2026?
No. The 2026 city budget froze TTC fares for a third straight year.
Are the Bloor, Yonge and University bike lanes being removed?
Not currently. In July 2025 the Ontario Superior Court struck down the provincial plan to remove them as a Charter violation. The province appealed, and the Ontario Court of Appeal heard the case on January 28, 2026.
As of June 12, 2026 no appeal decision has been released, and the lanes remain in place while the courts decide.
Is it a renter's market right now?
More than it has been in years. CMHC put purpose-built vacancy at about 3.0% — the highest since 2021 — and newer purpose-built buildings in the GTHA sat at 5.4% vacancy in early 2026, per Urbanation. Average one-bedroom asking rents run roughly $1,900–$2,100 depending on the source, down about 4% year over year.
With more units sitting empty, renters have leverage they haven't had in years — it's worth shopping around and negotiating.
How do I report a pothole, a missed garbage pickup, or a noise problem?
311 Toronto. Call 311 from inside the city — it runs around the clock, with service in more than 180 languages — or submit and track a service request online via toronto.ca. For emergencies, call 911.
How do I find my garbage and recycling day?
Collection runs on district-based schedules. Look up your address in the City of Toronto's collection calendar on toronto.ca — it covers garbage, recycling, organics, holiday shifts and what goes in which bin.
Why is Queen Street closed downtown, and until when?
Queen between Bay and Victoria has been closed to vehicles since May 2023 to build the Ontario Line's downtown stations. The city expects it to stay closed until about 2027. Streetcars are on diversion in the meantime.
When does the Scarborough busway open?
The dedicated busway on the old Line 3 corridor is scheduled to open by the end of September 2026 — about four kilometres with stops at Kennedy, Tara Avenue/Mooregate Avenue, Lawrence East and Ellesmere. Until then, replacement buses keep running in mixed traffic.
What did the 2026 city budget change for me?
A combined 2.2% residential property tax and city building levy increase — the smallest of this term — alongside a TTC fare freeze, every library branch open seven days a week, and student nutrition programs expanded to every public school.