Brian Buehlert depends on the 33 Forest Hill to get home from his job at a movie theatre in the evenings. For Sarah Bell, losing the 101 to Downsview Park would mean having to tromp two kilometres through a dark, decomissioned military base (and across a rail line) to reach practices and bouts with her roller-derby league. Myriam Canas-Mendes, meanwhile, wonders how low-income people and sex-trade workers she helps at a drop-in centre will get around the city after hours if the bus routes they use are shut down after 7 p.m.
The three were among roughly 100 people who showed up at an open house at Metro Hall Monday, the first of four such meetings this week where Torontonians can have their say on proposed bus service changes. The crowd was dismayed about the TTC's plan to cut service - mostly on evenings and weekends - on 50 routes with low ridership and add it to more heavily used routes.
At the town hall, the TTC showed diagrams of all the bus routes facing cuts, while workers circulated, explaining the changes and taking down comments and complaints from the public.
"I take the bus everywhere," said Mr. Buehlert, 24, who worried cutting service would just put more cars on the road. "The city's already too congested."
Ms. Canas-Mendes, who works at the Weston King Neighbourhood Centre on Weston Road, said many of the people who use the facility work late and need the routes to get home safely.
"If they can't take the bus, that means they're going to put their lives in danger," she said.
The single bus service that garnered the most attention was the 101, a shuttle of sorts that runs between Downsview subway station and the former military base, which houses a number of companies and recreational facilities. As it now stands, the TTC is proposing to cut the route entirely between May and September.
Honora Dines, who works at construction company HIS, which is based at Downsview, said 14 of the company's employees depend on the bus to get to work. She said there are roughly 35 companies at the facility, along with various athletic programs.
Roller-derby players from two leagues that play at the site turned out in force, and had a chance to talk to TTC chair Karen Stintz. They said she was receptive to their comments.
"I feel she has been compassionate to the message we're trying to convey," said Ms. Bell, of Toronto Junior Roller Derby. She said she spends about two hours on the TTC as often as four times a week to reach Downsview, and often sees children as young as 10 on the same bus heading to play basketball.
Ms. Sintz said the commission will re-evaluate its plan to chop service on the 101, and may re-visit other service changes as well, depending on what it hears from the public.
"It's a great turnout, and it's great to hear the concerns," she said.
Other town halls are scheduled for Tuesday at the North York Central Library, Wednesday at the Scarborough Civic Centre and the Elmbank Community Centre. All the meetings start at 7 p.m.
Adrian Morrow