I had butterflies in my stomach as I neared the LRT station and took the elevator down to the payment area. I’d already signed up for my pass online — all that was left was to register and finally ride the LRT.
The station gleamed. New. Clean. Simple. Technological elegance without the noise. The ticketing area was easy to navigate — one tap, one validation, no confusion. I walked through the turnstile and took the escalator down toward the platform.
There were no giant ads or maps the size of walls. Just clear signs pointing north and south. The colours were muted, modern. The space felt calm. Two digital boards displayed the next arrival: 2 minutes.
I sat on a steel bench and took a breath. The lights appeared in the tunnel. Quietly, the train rolled in and stopped with precision. Inside the train, it was calm. Bright. Designed for standing space — smart, efficient, practical. One straight line. No confusion. No chaos.
One minute later, I was at the next stop. Ten minutes later, I was across the city.
The ride cost 45 cents. A taxi would’ve been $4 — and twice as long.
This is Quito’s LRT. Not Eglinton’s.
Quito’s LRT is roughly the same length, with the same number of stations. It started construction after ours — and opened two years ago.
Cost to build: $1.5 billion.
Toronto’s? Over $13 billion.
And still no trains.
Only promises.
