The snow and cold temperatures didn't deter celebrations at the brand-new Finch West LRT station on Sunday morning. Hundreds of excited people eagerly lined up outside as early as 2:30 a.m. to ride on the new Line 6.
There were speeches by several dignitaries, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, TTC CEO Mandeep Lali, TTC Chair Jamaal Myers, the Ontario Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria and many others.
Chow said Toronto is in its biggest period of transit expansion in decades, thanks to federal and provincial levels of government.
She said the TTC will save riders money with no fare increases in 2026 and the recently announced two-year extension to the One Fare program. Chow said she is thinking of nurses heading home after a 12-hour shift and of Humber students trying to get to class on time with a commute they can finally count on.
“Today is about them and about every resident who deserves reliable and accessible transit,” Chow said. “The northwest of Toronto finally has a major transit line.”
Myers, who is also councillor for Scarborough North, said this is the most significant expansion of Toronto's transit network since the Spadina subway extension, which opened in 1978 linking the Bay-Bloor station to Wilson.
“By giving people a faster and more dependable alternative to driving, Line 6 will help reduce congestion on our roads, support local businesses, and improve the lives of residents who rely on transit every day,” Myers said. “This is what building a strong, equitable city looks like.”
Line 6 will operate along the 11-kilometre stretch between Finch West station and Humber Polytechnic, serving thousands of riders every day at just 18 stops. The $3.7-billion project was schedulted to start operations in 2023.
The trams are expected to run every six-and-a-half minutes during rush hours and up to 12 minutes during off-peak times.
Downsview Advocate journalist and Humber Polytechnic graduate, Etti Bali, was present on the inaugural ride. She said this is a great step forward and is happy for the additional transit option for current Humber students.
“One more option never hurts,” she said.
Improved after-hours connectivity for existing bus routes is still needed, she said.
“I really hope that they will do something for the north-south corridor,” Bali said. “There’s no (route) 927 or 46 in the morning hours. The buses need some improvement, especially route 73.”
