Here you’ll find some basic information about navigating Toronto and the university’s three campuses. The University itself also maintains a page with transportation information; be sure to check there for more details.

Campus Maps

You can find an online map of U of T’s three campuses here, which includes filters for academic buildings, food services, greenspace, and more. Hard copies of campus maps are also available at most campus libraries and at the University of Toronto bookstore.

Commuting Between Campuses

If you have TAship, you may be required to commute to the university’s campuses in Scarborough or Mississauga. Although it will cost you, you will be reimbursed towards the end of your TA contract. For more information, contact your supervisor or the TA administrator for the appropriate campus (whoever sent you your TA contract).

UTSC (Scarborough)
Because there is no direct commuter bus from downtown to Scarborough, getting to UTSC can be quite a trek, so give yourself plenty of time — at least an hour. Here’s a Google Maps route from JHB to UTSC, but if you prefer text instructions, begin by taking the TTC’s Line 2 subway east to Kennedy Station. From there, the 905 (Eglinton East Express) bus will take you right to UTSC campus, but it only operates during peak periods on weekdays. Outside of these times, the 116 (Morningside) bus might be a slightly slower trip, but it will take you there — just get off at the Ellesmere Road or Military Trail stops.

UTM (Mississauga)
U of T runs an express shuttle bus between the St. George and UTM campuses, taking approximately an hour depending on traffic. Tickets can be purchased for $6.00 (each way) from the Hart House Information Services desk at UTSG or at the UTM Student Centre’s Information Desk, but as a TA at UTM you can also receive free shuttle tickets to cover your transit; speak to your supervisor or TA supervisor for more information. in advance of your journey from Cecilia Martino (St. George campus) or the Assistant to the Chair (UTM). Note that you must bring your TCard to use the shuttle, and boarding is on a first-come-first-served basis. See the above website for more information on the shuttle’s pickup/drop-off locations and schedule.

On Foot, on Bicycle, or by Public Transit

On Foot
Most streets in and around campus (and downtown Toronto in general) follow a grid pattern. Memorizing the major east-west and north-south streets will help you orient yourself and give you the confidence to explore. A couple quick tips: 1) St. George Street, running from Bloor to College, is the north-south “spine” of the main campus (no wonder it’s also called the St. George campus!); 2) when on campus, the CN Tower is always to the south!

On Bicycle
Bikechain is a levy-funded non-profit group promoting bicycle use within the U of T community. They offer free bike and lock lending, repairs (both drop-off and DIY), and workshops on bike maintenance. They are open from 10:00am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday (12 to 8 Thursdays), and are located at 230 Huron Street, just north of College.

Bike Share, meanwhile, is a City of Toronto program that provides short-term bike rentals from over 600 stations across the city. Pick up a bike for a quick one-way ride (and drop it off at any other station), or purchase a daily or annual pass for unlimited access. See their website for more details.

In terms of the actual activity, the city has put bike lanes on some streets to help make getting around by bicycle easier and safer. However, it is sadly necessary to warn you that not all motorists respect bike lanes or are mindful of bicyclists. If you’re nervous about bicycling in the big city, plan your route in advance and consider substitutions. For example, when heading west from campus, it is almost always better to bike along Harbord as opposed to the more hectic Bloor or College. Toronto’s grid pattern of streets comes in handy in this regard.

For route planning, the City of Toronto provides a map of bike paths and lanes as part of their information on cycling in the city, or you might consider using BikeMap’s route planner. Google Maps also provides decent coverage of Toronto’s laneways and shortcuts that could help with your trip.

Public Transit
The Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, operates the vast public transit network that spans the Greater Toronto Area, including subways, streetcars, and buses. You can still pay with cash at some locations, but if you plan on using the TTC with any regularity, you’re going to want to get a Presto card. These provide convenient, one-tap access to all TTC stations and vehicles.

You can purchase a Presto card for $6 at some retail stores (including many Shoppers Drug Mart locations) or from a vending machine in any TTC subway station across the city. At that point, you can load funds (or transit passes; more on that below) onto your card at those same vending machines or on the Presto website.

Full adult fare for a TTC ride will cost $3.20. This entitles you to unlimited free transfers across any and all TTC routes and vehicles for a 2-hour window — so if you’re just running a quick errand, you’ll probably only have to pay one fare. You can also purchase monthly passes, discounted for post-secondary students to $128.15 from the standard $143.00. This means that, if you anticipate using the TTC more than 40 times per month, the pass would be the cheaper option.

Driving

A car can be expensive, and thanks to the TTC and the compactness of Toronto’s downtown core, most students won’t need one. However, if you do have a car, you should familiarize yourself with parking options around the St. George campus.

If you think you might need a car on occasion — say, to run errands for a couple hours or to take a weekend trip out of the city — you might consider signing up for a carshare like Communauto or Enterprise. These companies basically provide short-term car rentals, where you pay an hourly or daily rate that also covers the cost of gas. Note that most of these carshares require a monthly or annual membership fee on top of the actual rental cost.

If you do plan on driving in and around Toronto, the experience may be a bit overwhelming, especially if you don’t have prior experience driving in a big city. Many drivers find the downtown core, the Gardiner Expressway, and the 400-series highways to be particularly stressful and demanding. In general, though, as long as you stay alert and attentive, you should be fine.

Other Transportation Options

Uber/Lyft: These rideshare apps are very active in and around the GTA and can often be a convenient way to get from one place to another if there are no nearby transit stops. The cost and time of the trip will obviously vary with distance and traffic, but especially if you’re going somewhere in a group, these could be a good choice.

UP Express: This is often the most convenient way to get to and from Toronto Pearson Airport if you live in the city. With stops at Union Station in the downtown core and Bloor Street (right beside the Dundas West subway station), the UP (Union-Pearson) Express train can get you to the airport in about half an hour.

GO Transit: This is Ontario’s only interregional transportation service; the GO buses and trains travel within and beyond the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).  GO Transit is often the only way to access some of the GTA’s satellite communities short of using a car.

Mega Bus: This bus service provides very inexpensive transportation across southern Ontario, up to Quebec, and even to various stops in the United States.

Via Rail: This is a cross-Canada railway system that will typically be significantly cheaper than flights, and could be worth considering for trips to destinations like Ottawa or Montreal. Though the trip might be slower, travelling by train is generally much less of a hassle than by plane (you don’t need to be at the train station two hours in advance, for example!).