Project leaders get the word out on $1.4 billion Mississauga-Brampton transit line

The provincial agency building a $1.4 billion Mississauga-Brampton light rail transit (LRT) line has launched a major public information campaign targeting residents, business owners and others who have questions about the project.

Metrolinx, responsible for many public transit projects across the GTA and Golden Horseshoe, has sent out an “engagement team” and plans on using pop-up events throughout the summer to provide people along the Hurontario St. corridor with as much information as possible.

The 18-kilometre Hazel McCallion LRT, formerly the Hurontario LRT, will carry passengers from south Mississauga all the way north into Brampton when it opens in fall 2024.

Starting at Port Credit GO station, the LRT is planned to include 19 stops before arriving in Brampton. However, City of Mississauga officials are aggressively pushing for reinstatement of initial plans to create an “LRT loop” that would more directly and conveniently serve condo residents and office workers in the city’s downtown core around Square One.

Metrolinx officials say they want to keep people informed on that and other aspects of the huge project.

And they also want to alleviate any concerns area residents and businesses might have. Recently, a group of Mississauga residents who live just north of Square One expressed concern that the LRT isn’t planned to include a stop right in their neighbourhood.

That omission, claim LRT for Kingsbridge members, may inconvenience and pose risk to safety for thousands of residents living in what the group describes as an area with the highest population density along the 18-kilometre route.

Metrolinx engagement team members outside the Cooksville community office in Mississauga. (Photos: Metrolinx)

Metrolinx officials note they’ve already held pop-up information events at Cooksville GO station (June 21) and at last Thursday’s Movie Night at Celebration Square in the downtown core. Another pop-up is scheduled for today (June 28) at Mississauga Valley Library from 3-5 p.m.

More pop-ups are planned for:

• June 29: Dixie GO station, 8-10 a.m.
• July 1: Chinguacousy Park (Brampton), 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
• July 12: Brampton GO station, 4-6 p.m.
• July 19: Frank McKechnie Community Centre (Mississauga), 3-5 p.m.

In addition to the pop-ups, Metrolinx representatives are also spreading out across the route to meet with people.

“Metrolinx’s community engagement team is constantly out in neighbourhoods and talking to local residents. In Peel, plans include pop-up events and canvassing along the Hazel McCallion LRT route,” project leaders say. “People have questions and Metrolinx has answers.”

Metrolinx says its engagement team will be at more than 20 events across Mississauga and Brampton this summer “handing out paper trains, pens and talking transit.”

Team members will also be at a number of community centres, GO stations and other locations.

Metrolinx officials say they’ve received a good deal of feedback from people already, including this recent take from a Port Credit GO station user:

“The Hurontario LRT construction is like going to the dentist–you don’t enjoy sitting in the chair while they’re doing work in your mouth, but after it’s done, you realize it’s for the better.”

In July, Metrolinx staff say they’ll be out in full force along the LRT route talking to residents, businesses and transit commuters about the project.

Additionally, the public can visit Metrolinx community offices in Mississauga (3024 Hurontario St., unit G12) and Brampton (17 Ray Lawson Blvd., unit 9).

Call 416-202-7500 or email [email protected] to book an appointment.

The Hazel McCallion LRT route has been under construction for more than a year. The process of laying pieces of the tracks began recently, and it marked a major milestone in construction of the route, officials say.

The first tracks were installed at what project officials call the “nerve centre” of the rapid transit route–the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility located just south of Hwy. 407 on the Mississauga-Brampton border.

When completed, the route will link to GO stations at Port Credit and Cooksville, the Mississauga Transitway, Square One GO Bus Terminal, Brampton Gateway Terminal, and key MiWay and Brampton Transit routes. 

This is what the trains will look like when the Hazel McCallion LRT opens in 2024.