Eglinton Crosstown accessibility gaps limit disabled riders

Accessibility advocates are pointing to significant gaps in Metrolinx's design of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT's underground stations, arguing they create unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities.

David Lepofsky, a blind transit advocate and chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, is highlighting what he calls a key flaw in the stations' wayfinding floor markers — ridged tiles that direct visually impaired riders where to go. The markers in all underground stations show riders the way to elevators but leave them unable to find other means of entering or exiting the system.

"In the end, somebody at Metrolinx decided that blind people should use elevators, but not stairs or escalators," Lepofsky said. "I don't know what planet they're living on, but not the one that we blind people live in."

The design limits independence and creates additional barriers when elevators are unavailable. Lepofsky recently released a video demonstrating the issue at Chaplin Station and sent a letter to Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay calling for answers about the installation of tactile walking surface indicators throughout underground stations along Line 5.

Adam Cohoon, co-chair of the Accessibility Committee with transit advocacy group TTC Riders, told CBC Toronto the concerns point to broader issues in how accessibility is implemented across Toronto's transit network. An out-of-service elevator at Don Valley Station has made it difficult for wheelchair users to reach a nearby repair centre, forcing riders into longer, more complicated routes.

On Wednesday, the city's infrastructure and environment committee voted to call on Metrolinx, in consultation with the TTC and accessibility advisory committees, to improve tactile wayfinding in Line 5 stations. The motion will be considered by city council later this month.