70,000 daily rides to be delivered by new LRT line in Mississauga, project leaders say
Published March 25, 2024 at 4:47 pm
Project leaders looking to deliver a major new light-rail transit route linking Toronto with east Mississauga say they’ve reached another milestone now that the call has been put out for a builder to complete the line’s seven stations.
Ontario transportation ministry officials who joined project leaders and others at a press conference in Toronto Monday afternoon said the transit stations being built as part of the 9.2-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown West Extension “will bring fast and convenient transit closer to people and jobs in the GTA.”
The Ontario government has issued a request for qualifications for the design and construction of the seven stations, “marking another milestone in the province’s plan to deliver reliable, rapid transit to communities in Etobicoke and Mississauga,” provincial officials said.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the province is “bringing thousands of people in the GTA within walking distance of public transit” with the ECWE, which is expected to take its first passengers sometime in 2030 or 2031.
“For people who depend on transit to get to and from work and other important destinations, the seven-stop Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will be a game changer, connecting commuters from Renforth (in Mississauga) to Mount Dennis, Kennedy and beyond.”
The province added the ECWE “will connect more neighbourhoods from the east end to the west end and reduce gridlock for everyone.”
When completed in roughly eight years, the ECWE will link east Mississauga and likely Pearson Airport as well with parts of west Toronto, adding an estimated 69,700 rides each day. The new route will bring the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line from Toronto west to Renforth Dr. in east Mississauga.
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A proposal to extend the ECWE an additional 4.7 kilometres from Renforth Drive to Pearson Airport in Mississauga is also being strongly considered.
Trevor McPherson, president and CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade, noted the massive transit project is “a key development for Mississauga, directly addressing the congestion that limits our economic output.
“By improving mass transit, we’re making it easier for people to get to work and broadening our talent pool,” he continued. “Progress on this critical piece of infrastructure is not just good news for Mississauga, but a boost for the entire GTA economy.”
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