York Region Transit route 24/224 'Victoria Park'

24D Victoria Park and 224 Victoria Park North were local bus routes operated by Toronto Transit Commission under contract to York Region Transit.

224B Woodbine Avenue was a local bus route operated by York Region Transit in place of route 24D/224 on weekends and holidays.

In combination, the three routes provided daily service along the Woodbine Avenue corridor between Steeles Avenue East and Elgin Mills Road in Markham, Ontario, Canada.

For detailed information about service south of Steeles, see the TTC route histories for 24 Victoria Park and 224 Victoria Park North.

24D Victoria Park


	24D Victoria Park
Number of Branches		1
Types of buses used		Nova Bus LFS HEV , Orion VII NG HEV
Division		TTC (Birchmount)
Related routes		None

24D Victoria Park was a local bus route operated by Toronto Transit Commission under contract to York Region Transit.

Route Details

This route operated between Victoria Park Station and Major Mackenzie Drive along Victoria Park Avenue, Denison Street, and Woodbine Avenue. Buses looped via Hillmount Road, Markland Street, and Major Mackenzie Drive.

Route 24D connected to Viva Pink and Viva Purple at Woodbine/Highway 7 and Allstate Pkwy/Highway 7.

Branches

This route had one branch:

24D Victoria Park Station - Major Mackenzie (Weekday off-peak periods only)

History

Service was contracted out to the Toronto Transit Commission by Markham Transit. This involved TTC operating the buses and collecting the fares, but Markham Transit paying for any losses in running the service. A TTC fare was required for passengers travelling south of Steeles Avenue East, but only a Markham fare was required if the entire trip was north of Steeles Avenue. When Markham Transit was acquired by York Region Transit, the contract was picked up as well, with similar conditions.

Service was first operated as 2 branches to route 24: 24C (to 14th Avenue along the same route as the current 224C) and 24E (to Valleywood, looping similar to 24D/224D in the area). Both these routes were rush-hour only. Before 1998, 24E was changed to 24D to limit the "E" branch to express branches.

November 24, 2002 - With the opening of the Sheppard subway, branches 24C and 24D were replaced with the new 224C and 224D route branches, respectively, with service operated from Don Mills Station instead.

September 7, 2004 - Branch 24D is reinstated to replace weekday off-peak 224D service due to unacceptable financial performance.

December 2012 - Route 24D is declared fully accessible.

June 24, 2013 - Service into the Valleywood Business Park is discontinued and will instead operate direct via Woodbine Avenue.

June 17, 2016 - Branch 24D is eliminated as service along Woodbine Avenue is transferred from TTC to YRT operations. The new route 24 Woodbine will operate between Don Mills Station and the Honda Canada plant.

Vehicles

Route 24D was a 40ft route from TTC Birchmount Division, and used Orion VII and Orion VII NG .

Route Maps

Route 24D/224D
June 2013 - June 2016
September 2004 - June 2013

224C/D Victoria Park North


	224C/D Victoria Park North
Number of Branches		2
Types of buses used		Orion VII
Division		TTC (Eglinton)
Related routes		None

224C/D Victoria Park North was a local bus route operated by Toronto Transit Commission under contract to York Region Transit.

Route Details

This route operated along Victoria Park Avenue and Woodbine Avenue between Steeles Avenue East and Elgin Mills Road. Route 224C primarily served the Denison/Steeles and 14th Avenue Business Parks operating along Steelcase Road, Riviera Drive, 14th Avenue, Hood Road, and Denison Street. Route 224D served the industrial areas along Woodbine Avenue, Seneca College Markham Campus, Valleywood Business Park, the Honda Canada plant, and the Cathedraltown community.

Northbound service on route 224D operated via Frontenac Drive before noon and via Woodbine Avenue after noon. Southbound service on route 224D operated via Woodbine Avenue before noon and Allstate Parkway after noon.

Routes 224C and 224D connected to Viva Green at Don Mills Station. Route 224D connected Viva Pink and Viva Purple at Woodbine/Highway 7 and Allstate Pkwy/Highway 7.

Branches

This route had two branches:

224C Don Mills Station - 14th Avenue (Weekday rush hours only)
224D Don Mills Station - Elgin Mills (Weekday rush hours only)'

History

November 24, 2002 - Route is introduced in conjunction with the opening of the Sheppard subway. Branches 224C and 224D will replace branches 24C to 14th Avenue and 24D to Major Mackenzie, respectively, and operate over the same routing.

May 11, 2003 - Weekend and Holiday service is replaced with the YRT-operated route 224B Woodbine Avenue. YRT route 224B will operate over the branch 224D routing.

September 7, 2004 - Due to unacceptable financial performance, all weekday off-peak service is discontinued and replaced with the reinstated TTC 24D branch. Stops served by the 224C branch will only be served during weekday peak-periods.

May 5, 2005 - Branch 224D is extended north of Major Mackenzie Drive to serve the new Cathedraltown neighbourhood on Hazelton Avenue and Vine Cliff Boulevard.

June 22, 2008 - The northern loop for branch 224D is extended one block north from Vine Cliff Boulevard to Stony Hill Boulevard.

May 10, 2010 - Branch 224D is extended north to Elgin Mills Road and the Honda Canada plant.

December 2012 - Route 24D is declared fully accessible.

June 24, 2013 - Branch 224C service on Steelcase Road and John Street west of Woodbine Avenue is eliminated. Buses will instead operate on Woodbine Avenue to Riviera Drive.

June 17, 2016 - Branches 224C and 224D are eliminated as service along Woodbine Avenue is transferred from TTC to YRT operations. The new route 24 Woodbine will operate over the former 224D routing between Don Mills Station and the Honda Canada plant. Service will no longer operate on roads formerly operated by branch 224C.

Vehicles

Routes 224C and 224D were 40ft routes from TTC Eglinton Division and used Orion VII buses.

Route Maps

Route 224C
June 2013 - June 2016
Route 224C
November 2002 - June 2013
Route 224D
May 2010 - June 2016
Route 224D
May 2005 - June 2008
Route 224C/D
November 2002 - May 2005

224B Woodbine Avenue


	224B Woodbine Avenue
Number of Branches		1
Types of buses used		New Flyer D40LF/R , New Flyer XD40 , Nova Bus LFS
Division		Southeast (Markham)
Related routes		None

224B Woodbine Avenue was a local bus route operated by York Region Transit in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Route Details

This route operated along Woodbine Avenue between Steeles Avenue East and Elgin Mills Road and served the industrial areas along Woodbine Avenue, the Cathedraltown community, and the Honda Canada plant.

Route 224B connected to Viva Pink and Viva Purple at Woodbine/Highway 7.

Route 224B operated in both directions on Woodbine Avenue.

Branches

This route had one branch:

224B Steeles Avenue - Stony Hill Boulevard (Weekends & Holidays)

History

May 11, 2003 - Route is introduced to replace weekend and Holiday service formerly operated by TTC route 224D. Buses will operate between Steeles Avenue East and Major Mackenzie Drive. Before 12pm, northbound service operates through the Wooodbine/Cochrane and Valleywood Business Parks via Frontenac Drive and southbound service operates direct on Woodbine Avenue. After 12pm, southbound service operates through the business parks via Allstate Parkway and northbound service operates direct on Woodbine Avenue.

April 30, 2006 - Routing is extended to serve the Cathedraltown community north of Major Mackenzie Drive. The northern-end clockwise looping is expanded to operate via north on Woodbine Avenue, east on Vine Cliff Boulevard, south on Hazelton Avenue, and west on Major Mackenzie Drive. The southern-end looping is restructured to loop clockwise via Denison Street, Esna Park Drive, Steeles Avenue East, and Victoria Park Avenue. York Region Transit destination signs briefly listed the route as "15 Woodbine" but this was quickly changed back to 224B.

June 29, 2008 - The northern loop is extended one block north from Vine Cliff Boulevard to Stony Hill Boulevard.

December 2012 - Route 224B is declared fully accessible.

June 30, 2013 - As part of the 2013 Annual Service Plan, route 224B was modified to serve Woodbine Avenue in both directions, with service into the business park west of Woodbine Avenue between Lanark Road and Hooper Road discontinued.

June 17, 2016 - Route 224B is eliminated with the consolidation of service along the Woodbine Avenue corridor to YRT-only operations over a single route. The new route 24 Woodbine is introduced operating between Don Mills Station and the Honda Canada plant.