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A Metrolinx firewall is keeping popular location services, such as Google Maps, from accessing real-time data for train arrivals on the Finch West LRT, forcing third-party apps to rely on scheduled arrivals that may not be accurate.
In an internal audit report, the Toronto Transit Commission said it uses General Transit Feed Specification Real Time (GTFS-RT) — a global standard across transit agencies — to provide real-time service alerts to third-party apps, for the TTC’s advisory notices and on TV screens at stations.
However, it said it found accuracy, completeness and consistency varies for the Finch West LRT on apps such as Google Maps.
This is because a Metrolinx vendor owns the real-time vehicle location and arrival prediction data for Line 6, and the TTC’s access to the data is limited due to firewall and security constraints.
That, in turn, prevents the TTC from being able to publish data on GTFS-RT. Apps then default to using scheduled times, which can be problematic for transit riders who miss delays, service disruptions and real-time train arrivals, the report notes.
“Metrolinx, the TTC and Mosaic are currently working together to determine the most effective way to share real-time LRV arrival and departure data with third-party partners,” Metrolinx spokesperson Lyndsay Miller said in a statement to CBC News Friday.
The audit, which was conducted from July to December 2025, included a customer survey with a total of 1,009 respondents. According to the audit report, the survey found more than half of respondents use Google Maps for trip planning, while 33 per cent used Transit app.
“These gaps reduce customers’ ability to make reliable and informed travel decisions during disruptions,” said the TTC report. “The absence of key information in the GTFS-RT feed leads to missed opportunities to provide timely and accurate alerts for improving customer decision-making and confidence.”
The Finch West LRT, which opened after four years of delays, has faced its fair share of criticism in recent months due to mechanical failures during the harsh winter months and prolonged trip times. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
“While the TTC, as operator, does not control this data, we are working with line’s owner, Metrolinx, and maintainer Mosaic to open this functionality and improve the customer experience,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said in a statement to CBC Toronto Friday.
The announcement comes more than three months after the TTC’s Line 6 opening. The 18-stop line, which runs across 11 kilometres and connects Finch West station to Humber Polytechnic’s north campus, soft launched in December.
The Finch West LRT, which opened after four years of delays, has faced its fair share of criticism in recent months due to mechanical failures during the harsh winter months and prolonged trip times.
Andrew Ilersich, data advocacy lead at transit advocacy group TTCriders, said this is just another example of why the public-private partnership model doesn’t work.
“It leaves a lot of the project in private control when really it should be managed in the public interest,” he said. “It was an experiment that didn’t pay off, really.”’
The lack of transparency is a “massive issue” for more than just transit riders, Ilersich said.
“The impression from the outside is that Metrolinx and their contractors have been calling the shots and they’ve been very opaque, not just to the public, but also to the TTC,” he said. “The TTC does take a lot of heat for things that aren’t necessarily in their control to begin with. And unfortunately, this is another one on the pile.”
“If the TTC isn’t going to be controlling the data, if the TTC is not actually the one responsible for this, then the sign on the wall shouldn’t say TTC. It should say Metrolinx.”