Residents have say on massive Mississauga transit project that will change look of city

Starting today, Mississauga residents and businesses can take part in a two-week virtual open house to get information about and provide feedback on the east Mississauga portion of a bus rapid transit (BRT) route that will run nearly 50 kilometres along Dundas St.

Additionally, project leaders say, the public can participate in a live virtual community meeting on Jan. 27, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., to learn and ask about the massive Dundas BRT project.

The City of Mississauga and Metrolinx, the agency responsible for public transit in the GTA, are currently working together to complete environmental assessment approvals for the Dundas BRT Mississauga East Project.

“The project will have an impact on the look, feel and operation of Dundas St. in the future,” City officials said in a news release.

The Dundas BRT is a 48-kilometre express bus route that will cut an east-west path from the Kipling Transit Hub in Toronto to Hwy. 6 in Hamilton when completed years down the road.

It will run for 17 kilometres through Mississauga, including the Mississauga East portion of the route that runs from Etobicoke Creek in the east to Confederation Pkwy. in the west.

Residents and businesses can participate in one or both of the virtual open house and live virtual community meeting in the next 14 days.

They can learn about the Mississauga East project and have input into the environmental study findings regarding potential impacts on:

• Natural Environment and Tree Inventory
• Socio-Economic and Land Use Characteristics
• Cultural Heritage
• Noise and Vibration
• Climate Change and Sustainability
• Archaeology
• Traffic and Transportation
• Air Quality

“The focus of this round of engagement is to share the potential impacts and advance the design of the Mississauga East segment of the Dundas BRT (from Confederation Parkway to the Etobicoke Creek),” project officials said.

Specifically, the City and Metrolinx are seeking to involve the following groups in the process over the next two weeks:

• transit users along the Dundas corridor
• residents who live and work along Dundas (property owners and renters)
• business owners with businesses along the corridor
• community groups
• schools/students who use transit along the Dundas corridor

The full proposed transit corridor will stretch 48km along Dundas Street, linking Mississauga, Hamilton & Etobicoke.
The Dundas BRT will:
⬇️Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
🚍Create faster, reliable transit
🚏Improve connectivity
👍Lead to smoother traffic flow for all road users pic.twitter.com/CbYUIxRpqd

— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) January 18, 2022

The latest round of public engagement is the third time project officials have taken information to and from the public about the Dundas BRT.

The project calls for about 20 kilometres of the route to be a bus-only lane or dedicated right-of-way, separate from other traffic. 

Metrolinx says that design will allow for “faster and more reliable transit connections.”

A virtual open house hosted by the City last September focused on moving along the design of the Mississauga East segment of the route. 

Metrolinx officials said earlier that the Dundas BRT, first introduced to residents and businesses in April, will fill a significant transportation void in Mississauga and beyond.

“Right now, there’s no continuous east-west transit service along Dundas St., which impacts connectivity and accessibility for residents, workers and commuters,” Metrolinx officials said. 

According to Metrolinx, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area welcomes some 110,000 new residents each year and it’s expected to be home to more than 10 million people by 2041.

“Growth in our communities means that a reliable transportation system is needed to support the convenient and reliable movement of people as they travel from their homes for work and recreation,” project officials said.

Additionally, an analysis of options to build the BRT through two constrained areas, or “pinch points,” and the impacts of those options, plus the proposed stops for Mississauga East, were presented late last year for the public to review and comment on. 

The “pinch points” are in:

• Cooksville, where designers must take into account a dense mix of existing structures and some heritage properties
• Erindale Valley (Mississauga West segment), where there’s a need to protect the surrounding natural environment and several heritage sites

As work begins down the road, Dundas St. will be widened to create room for the dedicated BRT lane, officials note, adding that might include the removal of some existing structures and other impacts to properties such as altering parking spaces, entrances and exits, and landscaping.