York Region Transit route 24/224 'Victoria Park'

From CPTDB Wiki

Also see the TTC route histories: 24 Victoria Park and 224 Victoria Park North.


	24D Victoria Park, 224 Victoria Park North, 224B Woodbine Ave
Number of Branches		5
Types of buses used		24D, 224C/D: Orion VII/NG 224B: E-Z Rider II/BRT/MAX , New Flyer D40LF/R
Division		Southeast (Markham)
Related routes		None

24D Victoria Park and 224 Victoria Park North are base routes operated by TTC under contract to YRT in Markham, ON.
224B Woodbine Ave is a base route operated by YRT in place of route 24D/224D on weekends/holidays.

Basic

Routes 24D, 224, and 224B combined serve Woodbine Ave. between Steeles and Major Mackenzie.

These routes have 5 branches:

24D Victoria Park: Victoria Park Stn - Major Mackenzie (Weekday off-peak periods only)
224C Victoria Park North: Don Mills Stn - 14th Ave (Weekday rush hours only)
224D Victoria Park North: Don Mills Stn - Elgin Mills (Weekday rush hours only)
224B Woodbine Ave: Steeles - Major Mackenzie & Hazelton via Allstate Pkwy. (Weekends & Holidays)
224B Woodbine Ave: Steeles - Major Mackenzie & Hazelton via Frontenac Dr. (Weekends & Holidays)

These routes serve the Cathedraltown community. It also serves the industrial areas along Woodbine Ave., Seneca College Markham Campus, Valleywood Business Park, the future King Square Commercial Centre, and the Honda Canada plant.

Routes 24D, 224B, and 224D connect to Viva Pink and Viva Purple at Allstate Pkwy/Highway 7 and Woodbine/Highway 7. Routes 224C and 224D connect to Viva Green at Don Mills Station.

Northbound service on routes 24D, 224B, and 224D operate via Frontenac Dr. before noon and via Woodbine Ave. after noon. Southbound service on routes 24D, 224B, and 224D operate via Woodbine Ave. before noon and Allstate Pkwy. after noon.

History

Service was contracted out to the TTC 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 Ave., but only a Markham fare was required if the entire trip was north of Steeles. When Markham Transit was acquired by YRT, the contract was picked up as well, with similar conditions.

Service was first operated as 2 branches to route 24: 24C (to 14th Ave 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 restrict the E branch to express branches.

In 2002, major changes happened to the routes north of Steeles. The Sheppard Subway opened and the TTC experimented with a direct connection for northern routes to the new Don Mills Station for 24C, 24D, 67B and even as far away as 68B, operating on Warden. All 24C and 24D service was replaced by 224C and 224D respectively, the later receiving off-peak service and an extension to Major Mackenzie. Service along route 224D was replaced by route 224B on weekends, operated by YRT north of Steeles Ave. only. This experiment was not successful, however, and within a year service on route 268 was completely cut (replaced again by route 68B), and off-peak service on route 224D was replaced by route 24D. Peak service remained on 224C and 224D.

In 2006, rush hour service was extended north of Major Mackenzie to loop in the new Cathederaltown community. This extension was only for route 224B and D buses, and the new destination was labeled "To Major Mackenzie and Hazelton". In the same year, YRT destination signs listed the route as "15 Woodbine". This was quickly changed back to 224B. As of today, the Cathedraltown community has the irony of having rush hour and weekend service, but no midday service.

Service on route 224D was extended north to Elgin Mills and the Honda Canada plant on May 10, 2010.

Routes 24D, 224B, 224C, and 224D were declared fully accessible in December 2012.

Vehicles

Route 24D is a 40ft route from Birchmount Division, and uses Orion VII/NG. Routes 224C and 224D are 40ft routes from Eglinton Division, and uses Orion VII. Route 224B is primarily a 30ft route and uses E-Z Rider II/BRT/MAX. Rarely New Flyer D40LF/D40LFR may be used.

Major Stops

Victoria Park Station: Southern terminus for route 24D.
Don Mills Station: Southern terminus for route 224. Connections to Viva Green and route 90/90B.
Steeles Ave.: Start/end of York Region fare zone.
Steelcase Rd.: Routes 24D, 224B, and 224D serve stop on Victoria Park, route 224C serves stop on Steelcase.
Denison St.: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D. Connection to route 2A.
Steelcase/John: Served by route 224C. Connection to route 2.
Hood/Alden: Northern terminus for route 224C. Connection to route 2A.
Lanark Rd.: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D.
Highway 7: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon. Connections to Viva Pink, Viva Purple, and routes 1, 300.
Frontenac/Highway 7: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D northbound in the morning. Connections to routes 1, 300.
Allstate Pkwy./Highway 7: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D southbound in the afternoon. Connections to Viva Pink, Viva Purple, and routes 1, 300.
Hooper Rd.: Served by routes 24D, 224B, and 224D.
Markland/Major Mackenzie: Served by routes 24D and 224B. Connection to route 4/4A.
Major Mackenzie Dr.: Served by routes 224B and 224D. Connection to route 4/4A.
Hazelton/Vine Cliff: Served by routes 224B and 224D.
Stoney Hill Blvd.: Northern terminus for route 224B. Also served by route 224D.
Honda Plant: Northern terminus for route 224D.