Bob stood at the bus terminal and could feel it in the air.
Not excitement exactly.
More like… administrative anticipation.
It’s the day before the Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown opens on Sunday, and the TTC has decided this is the perfect time to reshuffle reality.
Not tomorrow.
Not after the ribbon cutting.
But the day before.
Classic TTC.
Stop Notices Are Blooming Like Spring Flowers
Everywhere Bob looks, there are red-and-white notices stapled to poles like lost concert posters.
“This stop will be removed.”
“Please walk 190 metres west.”
“Effective February 8, 2026.”
Nothing says “major transit milestone” like being told your regular stop no longer exists.
Bob reads one carefully. A stop at Eglinton is gone.
The replacement stop is nearby… but nearby in TTC language means:
“Close enough that you’ll find it eventually.”
Buses Marked “NOT IN SERVICE” Are Still Very Much in Service
Bob watches buses roll in and out of the terminal, some proudly flashing NOT IN SERVICE on the front.
Which raises important questions:
Not in service to who?
Philosophically?
Emotionally?
Drivers are clearly repositioning buses, learning new loops, testing new muscle memory. Riders stand around doing the universal transit pose: phone in one hand, mild confusion on the face, hope fading slowly.
The Crosstown Is Opening — So Everything Else Must Move
The Line 5 Crosstown has been “almost opening” for so long that many Torontonians assumed it was a myth, like affordable rent or a short meeting.
But now it’s real. And when something this big opens, everything around it has to shift:
Bus routes shortened
Stops relocated
Terminals reconfigured
Signs taped over signs taped over older signs
Bob knows tomorrow will be the big celebratory day.
Today is for logistics, duct tape, and quiet panic.
A Perfect Day for Street Photography
From a photography point of view, Bob loves this moment.
This is transit in transition:
Temporary signs
Empty platforms
Buses idling in winter light
People waiting, unsure if they’re early or already late
These are the photos that won’t make the brochures but will matter later — proof that before the smooth maps and clear arrows, there was a day when nobody quite knew where to stand.
Tomorrow It Becomes Normal (Sort Of)
By Sunday, the Crosstown opens and everyone will pretend it was always this way.
The bus routes will settle.
The signs will come down.
The confusion will migrate somewhere else.
But today — today is special.
Today is the day before Toronto changes its mind about how you get across Eglinton.
And Bob was there, camera in hand, documenting the moment when the city took a deep breath, moved the bus stop 190 metres west, and said:
“Okay… now go.”
— Bob
Street Photographer,
Transit Observer,
Waiting at the Wrong Stop (Probably)
No comments:
Post a Comment