Everyone knows the Dufferin bus has a reputation as one of the worst transit routes in Toronto. In terms of reliability and overcrowding, long periods of drought are often followed by deluges of jam-packed vehicles filled with pure misery and disappointment. There's surely no more spirit crushing activity in the city than waiting in the cold for a packed bus only to be repeatedly left on the sidewalk.

In a recent Grid article, the TTC's Brad Ross blamed the size of the route, the changing nature of Dufferin Street along its length, construction, bad weather, and the road surface for the generally dismal riding conditions.

Dufferin isn't even the busiest bus route - that prize goes to the 32 Eglinton West route, followed by the 35 Jane, and 36 and 39 Finch buses, according to the 2012 ridership figures. It's not buses that see large amounts or riders (which should be a good thing). The King streetcar is the daddy of all surface transit routes with a whopping 57,300 passengers on an average weekday, which is 440 times as much as the 99 Arrrow Rd, the quietest route of all.

Back in 2011, we took a look at the Finch West route and discussed several proposed options to improve service (bendy buses and dedicated lanes). Back then, the Dufferin bus was the busiest bus route, possibly indicating the ridership has suffered due to the poor conditions. The Finch bus on the other hand has continued to add new riders.

Local transit guru Steve Munro has a great in-depth look at the Dufferin bus' woes for those interested in examining the nitty-gritty of observed headways on the route. For the rest of us, we asked after what you felt was the worst surface route on the TTC. The responses were as follows. Add your two-cents (or tokens) below and maybe suggest a solution. Are dedicated lanes the only way to go?

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: djp3000/blogTO Flickr pool.