Brampton ask feds and province for $1.7B to build Hurontario LRT line and tunnel
Published March 2, 2022 at 11:50 am
The City of Brampton is asking Ottawa and Queen’s Park for $1.7 billion to fund the Hurontario Light Rail Transit project.
Slated for completion in fall 2024, the 18-kilometre Hurontario LRT will take passengers between Mississauga’s Port Credit GO station in the south to Steeles Avenue in Brampton in the north.
Back in August, the city said it was looking for a $1.3 billion commitment from the province and the federal government to fund the project and sign off on an underground tunnel to the Downtown Brampton GO Station.
But in a report to council on Wednesday, city staff said they are now seeking $1.7 billion for the project and are working to secure funding from the other orders of government.
There are two design options identified by the city for part of the transit line along Main Street to Downtown Brampton GO Station – an above ground track and an underground tunnel.
Estimated costs for the underground option are approximately $1.7 billion, while the surface option is approximately $500 million according to the city.
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The LRT funding and approval of an underground tunnel were on Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown’s wishlist from federal leaders during the 2021 election.
Federal Minister of Transportation Omar Alghabra said in December that the federal government is willing to consider the initiative, but only if the province also comes to the table with funding.
Once completed, the Hurontario LRT will have 19 stops on what will then be known as the Hazel McCallion Line in honour of the longtime Mississauga mayor.
The LRT extension will fill a gap in Peel’s regional rapid transit network, connecting the Hurontario LRT directly to the Kitchener GO Rail Line, existing Zum service, and a future proposed bus rapid transit route on Queen Street.
The project will require the extension of the LRT tracks, Multi-Use Path, and relocation of the Steeles and Hurontario stop from the south side of Steeles and Hurontario to the north side.
Connecting the Downtown Brampton Urban Growth Centre to the Hurontario-Steeles Gateway, the city says the project would also help to improve inter-municipal transit and active transportation connections between Brampton and Mississauga, supporting the Region’s goal of a 50 per cent sustainable mode share by 2041.
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