As the Finch West LRT Line 6 debuts for TTC riders, there is a growing demand to address the extended travel time required to traverse the entire route.
CityNews interviewed residents present at the line’s recent opening, where enthusiasm for the new infrastructure was tempered by concerns over trip durations. Social media buzzed with reports of journeys between Finch West subway station and Humber College station taking around 55 minutes, despite official estimates of 33-34 minutes for the 11-kilometre, 18-stop line.
To gauge real-world travel times, a CityNews team made trips from Finch West to Humber College station. While a car journey took approximately 23 minutes, the light rail ride along dedicated tracks clocked in at nearly 47 minutes due to frequent stops.
TTC implemented shuttle buses along the route for the initial days to supplement the LRT service. Experts like Matti Siemiatycki emphasized the importance of speed, reliability, and affordability in attracting riders to public transit, highlighting the need for competitive travel times against other transportation options.
Advocates like transit enthusiast Chris Drew lauded the Finch West LRT’s potential, calling for enhancements like transit signal priority to streamline journeys. Despite initial operational challenges, TTC assured ongoing improvements to speed and efficiency as the system matures.