The 18-stop Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project is officially complete, but no date has been confirmed on when riders can use the new transit system.
On Friday, the Ontario Government announced the completion of the Finch West LRT project which stretches across Humber College Station and Finch West Station and is expected to transport 46,000 passengers each weekday.
“The completion of the Finch West LRT stations signals a pivotal milestone for commuters in communities like Rexdale, Jane-Finch and Humber River-Black Creek,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation, said in a press release on Friday.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re advancing the projects that matter most—ensuring fast, reliable and accessible transit that will connect more people to good-paying local jobs and housing, while fueling economic growth for a stronger Ontario.”
The project is part of the province’s plan to improve traffic and bring more reliable transit to northwest Toronto. Spanning across 11 kilometres, the transit system will operate mainly at street level and will run every five to seven minutes during peak riding hours and every seven to 10 minutes during off-peak hours.
The Finch West LRT, will also offer connections to the TTC, GO Transit, Mississauga MiWay, York Region Viva and Brampton Züm transit services, and connect riders to Line 1 of the TTC.
Once the LRT is up and running, the testing of the vehicles will continue to ensure their safety.
There are mixed reviews on the news of the project completion online.
“If it ever works… see “Ottawa LRT,” a user on X, named Michael Jones, posted in response to the news, referencing the two-year delay of the Ottawa O-Train transit system.
Another person shared their support for the Finch LRT on Instagram, writing “Now this is epic.”
Not everyone is as excited about the new project, however. “I’m not convinced this LRT project is the solution to our traffic woes, can we expect better efficiency in other transit projects or just more of the same?” wrote another user on X.
Despite the long-anticipated completion of the Finch LRT, which began construction in 2019 according to media reports, there is no official opening date that riders can look forward to.
Now Toronto reached out to the Ministry of Transportation for details on a timeline when the Finch LRT will be open to the public but has not received a response by Friday afternoon.
