Toronto waited years for the opening of Line 6 Finch West, a $2.5 billion light rail project promised to deliver faster, more reliable transit across the city’s northwest. Yet just days after launch, the excitement has already given way to frustration. Riders are reporting delays, sluggish speeds, and travel times that are—astonishingly—longer than the 36C bus service the line replaced. For a project of this scale and cost, the early performance has raised uncomfortable questions about planning, priorities, and whether this outcome should have been expected all along.
At the heart of the criticism is speed. Light rail is supposed to be an upgrade: smoother rides, higher capacity, and quicker trips. Instead, early riders say Line 6 crawls through intersections, frequently stopping at red lights and losing momentum in mixed traffic. For commuters who relied on the 36C bus, which often benefitted from flexible routing and fewer full stops, the new LRT can feel like a step backward rather than forward.
One major issue transit advocates are pointing to is the lack of full signal priority. Unlike some modern LRT systems that actively control traffic lights to keep trains moving, Line 6 largely depends on existing signal cycles. This means trains often sit at intersections while cars get the green, undermining the very purpose of rail transit. Without strong signal priority, an LRT operating in the street can easily become trapped by the same congestion it was meant to avoid.
The disappointment is magnified by the price tag. At $2.5 billion, expectations were understandably high. Riders expected a system that felt transformative, not one struggling to outperform a bus within its first week. While some early issues are normal for new transit lines—operator training, schedule fine-tuning, and system adjustments—critics argue that fundamental design choices, like limited signal priority, are not teething problems. They are baked into the system.
So, should Toronto have seen this coming? Many transit watchers say yes. Concerns about speed and intersection delays were raised long before opening day. The decision to compromise on signal priority was known, and warnings about slower-than-expected travel times were part of public discussions. What’s happening now feels less like a surprise and more like a confirmation of long-standing fears.That said, it may still be too early to write off Line 6 entirely. Service can improve with better coordination, adjusted schedules, and potential tweaks to traffic signal operations. Over time, riders may also benefit from improved reliability compared to buses stuck in traffic during peak hours. But first impressions matter, and right now, Line 6 Finch West is struggling to convince Torontonians that $2.5 billion was money well spent.
