The City Council recently approved a motion put forward by Mayor Olivia Chow to accelerate the expansion of light rail transit (LRT) and streetcar services in the city. This decision comes after the disappointing launch of the Line 6 Finch West LRT, which received criticism for its sluggish service.
The motion, supported by TTC chair Jamaal Myers, was passed without changes during the council session on Tuesday. It urges collaboration between the city, Metrolinx, and the TTC to enhance transit signal priority at intersections along Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West, with a progress update expected by early 2026.
Additionally, improvements to the city’s streetcar network are being proposed. The motion instructs the City Manager and TTC CEO to develop a plan, inclusive of costs and staffing needs, to boost streetcar speed and reliability. This plan includes signal timing adjustments, a more proactive transit signal priority policy, and the deployment of traffic agents at critical intersections to prevent streetcar blockages.
Furthermore, recommendations are sought to eliminate on-street parking and restrict left turns during peak hours on key streetcar routes. The motion also calls for a joint plan from the city and TTC to expedite transit signal priority activations at intersections lacking the necessary technology on the surface transit network, with a target date of the first quarter of 2026 for the proposal.
Mayor Chow acknowledged the underwhelming performance of the Finch West LRT, admitting that it did not meet the expected service speed standards. Riders expressed frustration with the long travel times, with some journeys taking up to an hour to cover the 11-kilometer route between Finch West subway station and Humber College station. Despite official estimates indicating a faster journey, passenger experiences contradicted these projections.
Local residents and commuters, including Nicholas Christou and Butterfly Gopaul Jane, criticized the slow pace of the LRT, highlighting its inefficiency compared to previous bus services. Councillor Josh Matlow condemned the situation, emphasizing the need for urgent improvements, such as full signal priority implementation, to ensure that the transit infrastructure investments deliver the intended efficiency gains.