Accessibility group slams Metrolinx over Finch West LRT design flaw
Nearly 80-metre ramp between Lines 1 and 6 called 'exhausting' for wheelchair users; advocates demand independent audit.
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Toronto's new Finch West Station is missing a critical accessibility feature: an elevator connecting Line 6 to Line 1. Instead, travelers with mobility challenges face a nearly 80-metre ramp with three inclines broken by two landings — a distance one advocate compared to climbing 11 feet vertically.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance called the ramp "the stupidest ramp in the world" in a video released Monday, arguing it creates "the illusion of accessibility, without delivering the reality of accessibility." Group chair David Lepofsky, who is blind, said the ramp would be exhausting for anyone powering their own wheelchair and highlighted that people with chronic fatigue, strollers, and walkers are also affected.
Metrolinx did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. A TTC spokesperson said the transit agency remains "committed to making the system accessible to all."
Lepofsky questioned why Finch West lacks an elevator when renovated stations like Cedarvale — which connects Lines 1 and 5 — have one. Line 6 opened to the public in December 2025. The only alternate route from Line 6 to Line 1 requires using two elevators to reach street level and accessing Line 1 platforms through a separate surface entrance.
The AODA Alliance is calling for an independent accessibility audit of Lines 5 and 6.
The facts
What accessibility feature is missing from Finch West Station?
Finch West Station lacks an elevator connecting Line 6 to Line 1. Instead, travelers with mobility challenges must use a nearly 80-metre ramp with three inclines and two landings.
When did Line 6 open to the public?
Line 6 opened to the public in December 2025.
What is the AODA Alliance demanding?
The AODA Alliance is calling for an independent accessibility audit of Lines 5 and 6.
