What to know
- Mayor Olivia Chow says she’ll move a motion to give streetcars and LRTs transit signal priority after widespread complaints about the slow Finch West LRT.
- Riders report trips of 50+ minutes, which is slower than the bus route the LRT replaced, despite Metrolinx projecting a 33–34 minute travel time.
- Transit advocates like TTCriders welcome the move, calling signal priority essential to improving service.
- A promised city report on implementing signal priority has been delayed, while the Finch West LRT continues its “soft launch.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is taking steps to speed up the city’s streetcars and LRTs by introducing a motion for transit signal priority, following complaints that the Finch West LRT is moving too slowly.
Chow made the announcement on social media Tuesday, echoing the frustrations of transit riders about the new line.
“Yes, the Finch LRT is too slow. I know, I rode it twice,” Chow wrote on X.
She added that the new Line 6 “has to move faster,” which is why she is bringing an item to city council to push for signal priority for both the LRT and other Toronto streetcars.
“Hundreds of transit riders can end up stuck because of one car turning left. It means Toronto’s streetcars and LRTs can sometimes be frustratingly slow,” Chow said in a post on Instagram. “It’s time to get Toronto moving, and that includes the thousands of folks who rely on transit.”
The announcement comes amid growing criticism from transit riders and advocates, who have called the new line “incredibly slow.” Some riders report travel times of more than 50 minutes, slower than the 36 bus route the line replaced, despite Metrolinx indicating the full line would take approximately 33-34 minutes.
As a result, groups like TTCriders say they are disappointed with Toronto’s first new transit line in 22 years.
“We were excited. And then that excitement gradually became the realization of how outrageously slow the line is,” TTCriders Executive Director Andrew Pulsifer told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
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TTCriders has been advocating for transit signal priority (TSP) on both the Finch West LRT and Eglinton Crosstown LRT for months, and calls Chow’s announcement “a step in the right direction.”
“We would like to see it implemented as soon as possible. We’re absolutely hoping it’s just a matter of flicking a switch,” Pulsifer said.
Earlier this year, Toronto City Council approved a motion directing the city and TTC to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on implementing TSP for the LRTs. A report was expected in July but did not materialize.
The Finch West LRT, which stretches nearly 11 kilometers with 18 stops, is currently undergoing a “soft” launch, according to the TTC.
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During the soft launch, trains operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Replacement buses run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., with Blue Night bus service operating after 1 a.m.
