TTC subway map upgraded to Toronto Transit Map

About a year ago I played around with the Google Maps API and created a map containing the TTC subway system. It wasn’t intended to be all that useful as the TTC’s own map contains much more information. Still, that didn’t stop my map from rising to the top of the Google rankings for TTC-related searches, resulting in hundreds of visits. A few people sent me emails and comments thanking me for making the map, and it even got a mention in the print version of the June 2006 issue of HUB. I didn’t see much reason for the fuss as the map could have been so much better.

For the past little while I’ve been working on an update, one which makes use of new features in the Google Maps API and which should prove to be even more useful than the TTC’s own system map. This map encompasses not only the subway system, but also the full TTC ride guide, including street car, bus, and train lines. Best of all, the map now has search capability as well as integration with the TTC subway rider efficiency guide. Enjoy.

Many will note, and will no doubt complain, that the map stops just west of the airport and just north of Steeles. I did this to limit the size of the map for bandwidth purposes, and because the lines further north and to the west diverge considerably from the streets on Google’s map. You will notice that even west of the airport the lines diverge. I would have stopped the map further east but felt that I needed to include the airport for the sake of completion. As for those north of Steeles and west of the airport, this is a Toronto transit map. Anything else is just gravy.

  1. Kim

    November 13, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    I work in community development work all over the GTA and get around by TTC, it has been incredibly difficult. And today as I am preparing to head out from the downtown core to Kennedy and St Clair Ave East and completely confused and then I come across your amazing resource. You are wonderful. This map is wonderful. Truly an altruistic act, thanks!

  2. Hooman

    December 2, 2008 at 12:02 pm

    Awesome, but it’d be far more useful if you could have it in Google maps (My Maps) so it could be enabled anytime. I know you have the simple subway only version there, but this is something else!

  3. Dmytro

    January 4, 2009 at 1:53 am

    Awesome site! Enormously useful for apartment hunting. Thank you so much!

    P.S. Do you plan adding a functional zoom in/out to the mouse middle wheel?

  5. Steve Garrett

    January 14, 2009 at 11:48 am

    Hi Ian – can only concur with all the other writers for the excellent start you have made on this much needed item. The TTC website re-design was painfully inadequate in so many respects.

    I don’t know if you’ve noticed but here’s a particularly brutal omission: on the ttc site there are no location maps or even addresses on a subway station’s page. It’s possible that I’m missing something but if so then it’s fair to say that the info should be more prominent. See for example: http://www3.ttc.ca/Subway/Stations/Eglinton_West/station.jsp
    which gives you information about Eglinton West. I cannot see where on that screen is the address of that station or a map showing its location, or even a link to either of those. The link to schedules and maps does not help – you end up back at the same page. Try using the search box to search for “station address” – nothing of relevance, at least on the first page of entries.

    The TTC Rider platform maps you link to aren’t as fancy as the TTC’s site’s but IMO they are more useful!

    Funny enough – the TTC site didn’t even offer a way to send complaints about the website! (don’t know if they’ve fixed that yet).

    I sent an email to Giambrone in November critiquing some aspects of their web site. He sent back a pro forma: I have forwarded a copy of your email to TTC staff for their review and consideration, asking that they contact you directly should they require any additional clarification.

    Two months later, no response from the ttc and still no addresses for stations.

  6. Steve Garrett

    January 14, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Me again – different topic. Have you considered open sourcing this project and getting an entire city full of developers looking at it? I’m guessing that there must be tons of interest out here in diving in and making the improvements you’re considering, if you just plant the seed.

  7. Ian Stevens

    January 15, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Hi Steve. The code itself is fairly standard as far as Google Maps go. There really isn’t a lot to be built on there. The tiles are the key but they’re in a legal grey area and 2 years out of date.

  9. Tyla

    April 1, 2009 at 4:25 pm

    Hi, I visited a few days ago and today the map isn’t displaying at all. No drop down menu for stations, either. I’m a Mac and Firefox user, don’t know if that’s an issue.

  10. Rishabh Sachdeva

    May 31, 2009 at 11:46 am

    HI

    I really liked your website. But I would like to report a bug in your website. When i type some address it shows “The address is out of the bounds of the map”.

    Please rectify this error.

    Regards
    RISHABH SACHDEVA

  11. Ian Stevens

    May 31, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    Hi Rishabh. The map only covers a small portion of the GTA, not the entire GTA. That is why you receive that error. I have no plans to expand the map to further outside the GTA. Sorry.

  12. Ask AZBlog: googled maps NP « Arnold Zwicky’s Blog

    August 24, 2009 at 8:41 am

    […] Ah. You can google maps ‘google up maps’, but you can also google (up) places or addresses using Google Maps, and some people apparently can refer to this latter activity by the verb google(maps), google (maps), google/maps, or just plain google maps: Rich, Google maps the address once you enter it [the Toronto subway]. (link) […]

  14. Ian Stevens

    September 16, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    Thanks Natalia. It’s an old map which is not easily rendered from the TTC PDF. When I re-render the map that route will be included. That might not be for a while though.

  15. Jason A. Spiro

    October 31, 2009 at 10:15 pm

    Wonderful map. Thank you for creating and maintaining it. It would be nice if you would change the left sidebar text to (changes starred):

    This map contains public transit (bus, subway, street car, train, and LRT) lines for *Toronto and a little of the surrounding area* on a map provided by Google. *Most* data for *the* TTC *and some data for* GO Transit, VIVA, Brampton Transit, Mississauga Transit and Vaughan Transit is included.

  16. Shaun

    November 21, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    The route for 196 has completely changed. It now goes straight up Allen/Dufferin from Downsview Stn., to a private busway just above Finch, and it takes that busway straight to Murray Ross Pkwy. Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn’t have that busway marked (it’s been in construction for a while, but only completed and ready to use as of Nov. 20).

    http://www3.ttc.ca/Routes/196/Map.jsp

    Also, instead of service just being split AM/PM, it’s now split into peak and non-peak as well.

    http://www3.ttc.ca/Service_Advisories/Service_changes/November_Service_Changes.jsp

  17. Nick

    December 1, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    good job on the map. one error to point out. the Rouge Hill Go Station loop where you have a Green dotted line for a GO Transit Route is actually a part of DURHAM REGION TRANSIT’S Route 109 Rouge Hill Shuttle.

    Other than that, the website is awesome. Good job.

  18. Alan Gaudet

    January 10, 2010 at 3:48 am

    unable to view map on android phone – can you provide a direct link to the google map so i can open it using the google maps application on a phone? this would be amazing if that were possible, or even a ttc application for the android phone

  20. Gavin

    July 27, 2010 at 6:39 pm

    Hey there, wanted to say thank you, and also the TTC has added a route in Liberty Village that doesn’t appear marked. But really mostly thanks!
    G

  21. Paddy

    September 6, 2010 at 7:58 pm

    Hi there,
    I just wanted to say I think your transit map is truly awesome!! Would you please consider expanding it to include Hamilton & Oshawa? At least for the GO Transit Lines, and other major transit hubs?

    Thanks,

  25. Ian Stevens

    November 22, 2013 at 11:19 am

    Hi Jim. Google upgraded their maps API and recently removed support for the API version the TTC map uses. No map will appear until I change the map to use the latest API version.

  26. Alex

    November 22, 2013 at 11:46 am

    The whole point of this was to overlay the transit map over the google map. Why is there a grey background behind the transit map? Is it a bug or did you mean to do that?