Brampton City Council rejects LRT planned through downtown

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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Hurontario-Main LRT Project

At a special Council Meeting on Oct. 27, Brampton City Council in Ontario voted to terminate the Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (HMLRT) project at Steeles Avenue.

 

The proposed HMLRT project was designed to bring 14.2 miles of rapid transit to Mississauga and Brampton with 26 stops.

Following this decision, the council voted in favor of a separate motion that took the Main Street surface route north of the Etobicoke Creek through Downtown Brampton permanently off the table as an acceptable alignment. The motion also directed the Mayor of Brampton and council to engage senior levels of government to seek funding partners to implement a “Made in Brampton” higher order rapid transit plan.

The Province of Ontario pledged a CA$1.6 billion (US$1.2 billion) commitment, the full cost of the project, through its “Moving Ontario Forward” fund back in April. Metrolinx will proceed with the project and the HMLRT will run from Port Credit in Mississauga to Brampton Gateway Terminal at Steeles. Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Steven De Luca told CBC/Radio Canada that the Brampton portion of the funds, estimated between CA$200 million (US$152 million) and CA$300 million (US$229.4 million) would be used to fund other transit projects in Ontario.

More than 400 people attended the six-hour meeting, which ended about 1a.m. and saw a record number of delegates address council.

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