{"id":822944,"date":"2026-07-24T11:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/822944\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T11:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:34:10","slug":"toronto-accessibility-advocates-say-theyre-frustrated-over-stupidest-finch-west-station-ramp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/822944\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto accessibility advocates say they’re frustrated over ‘stupidest’ Finch West station ramp"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Finch West LRT<\/a> has been open for several months now, but accessibility advocates say they\u2019re frustrated with Metrolinx over the installation of a massive ramp and the omission of an elevator to connect Lines 1 and 6 directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe call this the stupidest ramp in the world because it requires people with disabilities to push their wheelchair up a ramp that\u2019s longer than a 747 jumbo jet,\u201d David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee and host of the\u00a0Disability Rights and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast<\/a>\u00a0podcast, said.<\/p>\n

Lepofsky, who is blind, recently visited the sole direct indoor connection between the TTC Finch West subway station and the Line 6 Finch West station. In a video<\/a> posted on Monday that has since garnered around 12,000 views, he showed the options riders must use to transfer between the lines: A set of stairs with 23 steps or a three-level ramp that totals approximately 260 feet.<\/p>\n

In an interview, he said the ramp doesn\u2019t have the optimal turning radius people with power wheelchairs and scooters need to make the turns without awkward manoeuvres. Lepofsky also said it\u2019s an unusual way for people to go up or down a floor inside a building. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that they didn\u2019t know you need an elevator because they have elevators to get from the Line 1 platform to the street, an elevator to get from the Line 6 platform to the street,\u201d he told CityNews.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t take a rocket scientist to figure out they needed an elevator here. They chose not to do it, and they owe us people with disabilities and the public an explanation as to why.\u201d<\/p>\n

CityNews met Darren Parberry, an accessibility advocate and host of the YouTube channel Transit History by Mobility Scooter<\/a>, at Finch West station to follow him as he attempted to navigate the massive ramp for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you serious? I don\u2019t know whether I can do it or not,\u201d Parberry said after seeing it in person. <\/p>\n

As he went down the ramp, he had to stop at each ramp landing to reverse and accelerate at least once to navigate the turns. Parberry pointed out that small benches installed at each ramp landing created obstructions. <\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone dropped the ball plain and simple,\u201d he said after reaching the end, calling it frustrating.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beyond stupidity\u2026 It\u2019s bordering on arrogance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parberry also pointed out other accessibility design issues at the station. He said a large, tiled area blocked off after what appeared to be flooding creates a slip hazard. Parberry said tactile guidance leading to multiple elevators wasn\u2019t installed either.<\/p>\n

CityNews contacted staff with Metrolinx, the provincial organization that oversaw the private-sector construction of the Finch West LRT, to ask for an interview about the accessibility issues raised, but no one was made available. However, officials said in a statement that Metrolinx is committed to building a system that is \u201csafe, accessible, and inclusive for all customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMetrolinx consulted with the TTC and the TTC\u2019s Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit on the design of the connection between Line 1 and Line 6,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognize the importance of ongoing feedback and continuous improvement, and we are undertaking testing with individuals with a wide range of disabilities to better understand customer experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to work closely with the TTC to ensure customers continue to have safe, convenient, and accessible access at all of the Line 5 and 6 stations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lepofsky said he wrote to Metrolinx about the issue, but as of Thursday afternoon, he hadn\u2019t heard back from anyone.<\/p>\n

With concerns about the installation of transit buildings with longer ramps front of mind, the construction of a new bus terminal and entrance at Islington subway station is also being watched. Public renderings showed a large descent to the existing subway concourse made up of multiple ramps.<\/p>\n

CityNews contacted the TTC to ask about the project<\/a>, which has been delayed and is set to open in 2027 amid a push to accelerate construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe west entrance ramp was designed with accessibility in mind. It is broken into shorter segments with level landings at the middle and at the ends of each segment, allowing customers to rest or stop as needed along the way,\u201d a spokesperson said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cConsistent with all Easier Access projects, the Islington station designs were presented for review to the design review subcommittee of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit. \u2026 The Subcommittee\u2019s comments on the Islington designs were addressed and incorporated into the final design where feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement noted a \u201cdirect street-to-platform elevator at the west entrance would require building over the existing station structure,\u201d which conflicts with road and property development plans.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Parberry and Lepofsky said they want to see the situation addressed in a more meaningful way going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are lots of able-bodied people, and they figure, \u2018Don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s just an inconvenience.\u2019 No, it\u2019s more than an inconvenience; It\u2019s more of a major barrier,\u201d Parberry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re calling for this to be fixed,\u201d Lepofsky said, referring to the Ford government.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve called on Metrolinx to commission an independent accessibility audit of the new Line 5 and the new Line 6. Let\u2019s get an independent expert in to confirm where the barriers are and what needs to be done to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tA massive ramp and stairs at the Finch West LRT station connects Lines 1 and 6. Accessibility advocates say they’re frustrated with Metrolinx for not including an elevator. CITYNEWS \/ Nick Westoll <\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\"Add
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Finch West LRT has been open for several months now, but accessibility advocates say they\u2019re frustrated with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":822945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194291],"tags":[49,48,3302],"class_list":["post-822944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=822944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/822945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=822944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=822944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=822944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}