Last week, I did a site check along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT route between Cedarvale and Eglinton stations. That project may be subject to endless delays & lots of negative criticism, but the Finch West LRT quietly chugs along. Yesterday, I got off Finch West station on my way home and checked out a short stretch between Finch West and Jane and Finch stations. Let’s see how that project is shaping up.
The first block of Finch West from Keele Street to Romfield Lane (at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School) is still in rough shape with only one traffic lane per direction and no cycling facilities. Here’s a shot I took just before returning to Finch West station.
Cycle tracks first appear just west of Romfield Lane which use a blended curb similar to what is used on Sherbourne Street. While there is the risk of motorists blocking the cycle track, it’s an improvement over what Metrolinx has been done with the surface portion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
The station shelters use a similar design as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
Certain elements such as transit information boards are up per this photo below at Sentinel Road, while others such as fare machines were not yet visible.
Some parts of the cycle track west of Sentinel have mounds of dirt and had some rough patches; making it not exactly rideable at this time.
The intersections such as at Jane and Finch still need a fair bit of work, but permanent traffic signals are gradually coming online to replace the temporary ones.
The paved cycle tracks disappear west of Jane and Finch, though you can still make out where they will go next to the Planet Fitness.
The other side of the transit stations show a T symbol in a circle with the station name. It’s a shame the TTC logo wasn’t there, though they will only be operating the line while Metrolinx owns the infrastructure.
Here is another shot of the cycle track and guideway; this time looking eastbound. Note the cycle tracks still have some gaps that need to be filled in.
And here’s a final shot of the new Finch West station building.
A Metrolinx tweet from November 2022 showed the concrete work for the multi-use trail tunnel at Highway 400 was completed. While I didn’t get as far as that interchange, I would have been curious to find out what that interchange looks like now. The existing one was a significant safety hazard where Giuseppe Pellerito was hit by a driver on September 4, 2020 and later died.
Concrete works are complete for the multi-purpose tunnel at Highway 400! Teams are now entering the home stretch of the tunnel's construction, which will allow pedestrians and cyclists to bypass the busy southbound on-ramp once complete. pic.twitter.com/SHX6u9Kd41
— Finch West LRT (@FinchWestLRT) November 1, 2022
Given the progress the Finch West LRT has been making, some speculated whether it will become open sooner than the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (which is increasingly becoming likely). In any case, this project will provide a much needed transit and cycling boost for Northwest Toronto including Humber College.
I wonder why the TTC logo was omitted as you mentioned. It seems to me that it will create confusion for riders, as it won’t be obvious it’s Toronto transit. I wonder if the Ontario line will include it? But would be interested to have Metrolinx directly respond to this issue.
ReplyDeleteI'd gamble they are just temporary until the TTC hand off. The one on shelter could easily be pasted over, and the one on the station can just be swapped out.
ReplyDelete