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Construction on all stops and stations for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) is complete as of Sept. 20, the Ontario government has confirmed, but some local residents are skeptical about when the long-awaited transit line will actually start taking passengers.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen test trains running now, and that’s good… but it’s been promise after promise with these guys,” said Carlos White-Chacon, a frequent TTC commuter who lives in the Jane and Finch area.
In the Sept. 20 news release, the transportation minister’s office said the end of construction marks a milestone to “reduce gridlock and bring faster, more reliable transit to northwest Toronto,” and that it will benefit communities such as Jane-Finch, Rexdale and Humber River-Black Creek.
White-Chacon, who used to be a student at Humber College’s North Campus, said he would’ve gotten great use out of the transit line when he was commuting to class — had it been finished earlier.
“It was supposed to be finished when I was still in school, and what’s funny is that the construction of this thing made the travel way worse,” he said. “This should have been prioritized when it was first announced years ago.”
The Finch West LRT was initially pitched in 2015, a key part of the Ontario government’s efforts to improve transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Currently, the 36 Finch West bus services commuters along Finch Avenue West, with the original proposal logging over 42,000 passengers each weekday, making it one of the TTC’s three busiest routes.
Nearly a decade later, the new 18-stop LRT, which spans 11 kilometres from Humber College to Finch West Station, is expected to accommodate 46,000 passengers daily, according to the Sept. 20 news release — forecasting an annual ridership of 12 million by 2031.
“We are a step closer to bringing fast, frequent light rail service to northwest Toronto,” Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster is quoted saying in the release, although no opening date was given.
Training has begun for staff to operate the lane, and a Metrolinx spokesperson told On The Record News that 10 of 15 trainers have completed training so far.
“This will allow the TTC to validate the operator-driver training program so that driver training can commence this fall,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to see progress in testing and commissioning work, a critical step for ensuring the line is safe and reliable for customers which will determine an opening date.”
Angelica Sanchez, 23, is a George Brown College student living in the Weston and Finch area who travels to school via the 36 Finch West bus regularly. She says she fears this LRT could become another Eglinton Crosstown LRT situation, which has been under construction since 2011.
“They’re not giving a date … or even anything close to a timeline of when it’ll actually be usable,” she said.
Without a clear launch date, transit goers like White-Chacon and Sanchez are left wondering how much longer they will have to wait.
“We’re still left guessing,” said Sanchez. “I’m not surprised anymore, just disappointed.”
Nicole is a Toronto-based reporter for On The Record.
