Many Lake Shore Blvd. W. residents and businesses are welcoming the return of the 501 Queen streetcar which has been out of service for almost two years.
The TTC and City of Toronto said the famed streetcar will return on September 3 for service to the Long Branch Loop following the completion of major infrastructure upgrades.
Since January 2021 until May 2023, buses replaced the 504 King between Dundas West Station and Dufferin St., including the intersection at King St. W., and Roncesvalles Ave., to accommodate the construction.

This project has long frustrated local businesses, especially those relying on outdoor patio space, made difficult or impossible by construction noise, dust, and sidewalk restrictions.
The 501 Queen was replaced by shuttle bus service due to delays in the construction necessary to divert the streetcars around the building of the new Ontario Line station at Queen and Yonge Street.
The resumed streetcar service comes with several new additions, including replaced tracks, the extension of a dedicated streetcar right-of-way, improved streetcar stops and added safety features for pedestrians and cyclists.
This massive infrastructure overhaul, dubbed KQQR for the intersection’s initials, includes the rehabilitation of a bridge, replacement of watermains, sewer relining, hydro upgrades, new and modified traffic signals, and other TTC-related work.
The line is one of Toronto’s busiest and was sorely missed by residents, who have been riding shuttle buses for years.
The 501 route starts from Long Branch loop on Lake Shore Blvd., near the border with Mississauga. Running east, it serves the main commercial streets for Long Branch, New Toronto and Mimico before ducking into private right-of-way beneath the Gardiner Expressway and emerging into the Humber Loop interchange.
At 15.4 miles of double track, the 501 Queen is the longest streetcar route on the TTC, and one of the longest streetcar routes in North America. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, between Long Branch and Neville Park.
The Queen streetcar has its origins going back to horse-drawn trams which started running in June 1875 along the Kingston Road Tramway. Electric service arrived in Toronto around 1893.