The Hurontario LRT Moves Forward in Brampton and Mississauga

Although the incoming Hurontario LRT has been controversial (especially in Brampton, where it is not yet known where the route will go beyond the Shopper’s World area), it is a reality that both cities will be facing soon (perhaps with some fanfare).

The Ontario government recently announced that it has reached “a major milestone” in the LRT project, a project it says will offer more transit options and improve commutes for people traveling north and south in Mississauga and Brampton.

The province has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the new LRT line.

The three teams shortlisted for the Hurontario LRT project will submit their proposals to Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx later this year. The contract is anticipated to be awarded in 2018. The teams include Hurontario Light Rail Connection Partners (HLCP), Mobilinx and Trillium Transit Partners. 

You can learn more about the RFP here. 

For those who are unaware, the Hurontario LRT project includes approximately 20 kilometres of new dedicated rapid transit between Port Credit GO Station in Mississauga and Gateway Terminal in southern Brampton, with 22 stops and connections to GO Transit’s Milton and Lakeshore West lines.

“The Hurontario Light Rail Transit Project is a key part of our city’s future and building the complete city where people want to live, invest and open up a business. City staff has worked closely with Metrolinx to prepare this project for procurement,” says Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “We are continuing to work with our partners to bring much needed rapid transit to Hurontario…The LRT is a game changer for Mississauga and will ensure the Hurontario corridor grows in a sustainable way. We look forward to further milestones and progress of this important project that will connect our city and ensure it remains competitive and offers our residents efficient and modern transit.”

Ideally, LRT–one of the most monumental infrastructure projects Peel has seen in recent years–will provide commuters with a travel option that will cut travel times and help manage congestion across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

The Hurontario LRT project is part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history and the province is providing $1.4 billion to build it in Mississauga and southern Brampton (Brampton famously turned down additional funding to carry the route further down Main Street into the city’s downtown core).

“The excitement around the Hurontario LRT continues to grow as we reach this long awaited milestone. The Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit project is one of many significant catalysts that are sparking urban renewal and development in the City of Brampton,” says Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey. “Our city continues to experience tremendous growth, and both the public and private sector will be the beneficiaries of this LRT investment. I would like to thank the province’s willingness to be a partner in a robust regional transit network.”

The LRT project includes three stops in downtown Mississauga and also boasts connections Mississauga MiWay, Brampton Transit, Brampton Züm, the Mississauga Transitway and a maintenance and storage facility for the light rail vehicles at Highway 407.

The LRT could be completed and useable by 2022.