What to know<\/p>\n
Toronto\u2019s Line 6 Finch West LRT officially opened Sunday after six years of construction, running 18 stops along 10.3 km from Humber College to Finch West Station.<\/p>\n
Riders reported delays, slow travel times, and operational shutdowns that required shuttle buses on its first day.<\/p>\n
Many criticized the line\u2019s lack of transit signal priority, causing stops at red lights and longer-than-expected trips.<\/p>\n
City Councillor Josh Matlow and local transit advocates have called for improvements, emphasizing that the line should operate faster than the buses it replaced.<\/p>\n
The anticipated Line 6 is finally open, but its launch has been met with a wave of criticism from riders frustrated by delays, slow travel times, and early operational disruptions.<\/p>\n
The 18-stop Light Rail Transit (LRT) line opened to the public on Sunday after six years of construction. Running approximately 10.3 kilometres along Finch Avenue West from Humber College to Finch West Station, passengers and transit enthusiasts reported experiencing delays on its opening day due to operational issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
9:45am, train short turning to manage bunching. Went out of service, forcing passengers off. pic.twitter.com\/cYNXaGNSAS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rodney\ud83d\udea7\ud83d\ude87 (@_ChanFace) December 7, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n During this time, shuttle buses were also being deployed to alleviate the bustling network and to carry passengers affected by the congestion.<\/p>\n Many riders have noted that the line feels slow compared to other parts of the city\u2019s transit network, with travel times not meeting expectations. Metrolinx outlined in a Frequently Asked Questions forum<\/a> that trips along the line should take approximately 33-34 minutes to travel from end to end, but online, some riders are saying a trip along the line had taken upwards of 53 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt crawled across Finch,\u201d one person said on Reddit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another Reddit user detailed their own \u201cfrustrating experience\u201d while aboard Line 6.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe constant stopping at red lights and being passed by cars barely going the speed limit is one thing, but the size of the rolling stock is tiny; the streetcars feel wider,\u201d they wrote on the platform. \u201cThe stations are also so barebone with no in door enclosures or heating.\u201d<\/p>\n Metrolinx also included the average speed of the LRT to be around 20-21 km\/h in its outline, but local transit advocate Steve Munro noted<\/a> the vehicles would operate much slower, at an average speed of 13-13.5 km\/h.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Riders also highlighted the absence of transit signal priority, which would allow buses and trains to move more quickly through intersections by coordinating with traffic signals. Without it, vehicles on Line 6 are often forced to stop at every red light, contributing to longer commutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n \u201cNot having signal priority across the entire line is just malpractice,\u201d one Redditor said.\u00a0<\/p>\n City Councillor Josh Matlow also reinforced the idea on X, calling it \u201cwrong\u201d for the line to not have signal priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBillions of dollars were spent, only for \u201crapid transit\u201d to go slower than the buses it replaced,\u201d he wrote online, urging that council\u2019s 2026 budget must fund the priority.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s wrong that the Finch & Eglinton LRTs don\u2019t have signal priority. Billions of dollars were spent, only for \u201crapid transit\u201d to go slower than the buses it replaced. Last Spring at Council, I moved for signal priority on these lines. The 2026 budget must fund this priority. pic.twitter.com\/wiy3LmZ3Lw<\/a><\/p>\n