The Hurontario LRT (formerly the Hurontario–Main LRT) is a
light rail line under construction in the cities of
Mississauga
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
and
Brampton
Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. The line will run along
Hurontario Street
Hurontario Street is a roadway running in Ontario, Canada between Lake Ontario at Mississauga and Lake Huron's Georgian Bay at Collingwood. Within Peel Region, it is a major urban thoroughfare within the cities of Mississauga and Brampton, ...
from Mississauga's
Port Credit
Port Credit is a neighbourhood in the south-central part of the City of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Its main intersection is Hurontario Street and Lakeshore Road, a ...
neighbourhood north to
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east–west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of Regional Municipality of York, York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western and central Greater Toronto Area from ...
in Brampton.
The line will be built and operated as a
public-private partnership by Mobilinx, a consortium of private European and Japanese companies, with provincial transit agency
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
retaining ownership of the line.
It will be the only
street railway
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
operating in the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
outside
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
proper.
Upon opening, the route will be named the Hazel McCallion Line in honour of
Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion, (; born February 14, 1921) is a Canadian businesswoman and retired politician who served as the fifth mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, from 1978 until 2014. She is the first and current chancellor of Sheridan College.
McCallion ...
, the former mayor of the City of Mississauga. In 2022, the provincial government announced the line's renaming on the occasion of the former mayor's 101st birthday. As of December 2022, the line has not yet been assigned a route number or map colour.
The cities of Mississauga and Brampton have determined that rapid transit along Hurontario is required due to the chronic overcrowding of Mississauga's (and the suburban
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
's) busiest bus routes, 2/17 Hurontario, which carry more than 25,000 passengers a day, combined with the numerous high-density development proposals along the corridor and the high growth in both cities.
They identified three options: light rail transit for the entire corridor, bus rapid transit for the entire corridor, or a combination of both (light rail south of
Mississauga City Centre
Mississauga City Centre is the downtown of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The downtown district is located generally at the intersection of Hurontario Street and Burnhamthorpe Road, centred around Square One Shopping Centre.
Design and layout
M ...
and
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
north of it).
After three public information sessions, the residents of both cities favoured light rail transit along the full length of the corridor.
On October 28, 2015, Brampton City Council voted against allowing the LRT to run along the Main Street portion of the route because of concerns of low ridership projections, impacts on Brampton's historic downtown and the preferences for an LRT along an alternate route. Thus, the LRT will terminate at the
Brampton Gateway Terminal
Brampton Gateway Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the south-central and western areas of Brampton, Ontario. It is located on the north-west corner of Steeles Avenue and Main Street adjoining the Shoppers World Brampton shopping ...
on
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east–west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of Regional Municipality of York, York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western and central Greater Toronto Area from ...
instead of
Brampton GO Station
Brampton GO Station is a railway station served by GO Transit and Via Rail, located at 27 Church Street West in downtown Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is directly connected to the Downtown Brampton Terminal which serves GO Transit and Brampton Tr ...
.
Construction began in 2020 and the line is projected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2024.
History
Costs
In 2016, the LRT line was projected to cost $1.4 billion.
(Prior to the cancellation of the Brampton portion of the line, the estimated cost was around $1.6 billion.
) On April 21, 2015, the
Government of Ontario
The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor ...
announced that it would completely fund the line, not including local capital costs such as utility relocations, surface upgrades, and landscaping.
When Mobilinx was chosen as the winning bidder, the total contract value was $5.6 billion. This included $4.6 billion to design, build and finance plus $1 billion to operate and maintain the line for 30 years. The line was previously costed at $1.2 billion for capital costs only. The City of Mississauga is expected to cover the operating and maintenance costs.
Benefits
Mississauga plans to use the Hurontario LRT to spur commercial development and employment opportunities along the line. According to Ed Sajecki, Commissioner of Planning and Building for Mississauga, downtown development had been mostly residential towers as developers felt it was to too expensive to provide parking for large office towers. Sajecki expects that the LRT will eliminate the need for downtown parking. With the LRT, downtown population is expected to double in less than two decades from its currently estimated 40,000. According to Mayor
Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie ( Stack, born February 5, 1960) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 6th and current Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario since December 1, 2014.
From 2008 to 2011, she was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Missi ...
, Mississauga is planning for mixed-use zoning along Hurontario including accommodation, businesses, commercial, retail and arts-cultural development.
Criticism
* In 2015, many in Brampton were critical of the LRT's original route through the city's downtown. The fear was that the LRT on downtown Main Street would adversely affect the heritage aesthetics of old city centre.
Brampton city council voted against the Main Street route, and Metrolinx
cancelled the section on Main Street.
* Since 2019, Mississauga's mayor and city council have been disappointed with Metrolinx's decision to
cancel the Mississauga City Centre loop in order to reduce costs.
* In January 2018, the residents of the Kingsbridge Garden Circle area were advocating for a stop in their area which would between the Highway 403 and Eglinton Avenue. The Eglinton & Hurontario stop would be the nearest, about to the north. Residents claimed that 10,000 people live in the area. Mississauga's commissioner of transportation and works said the request came too late as procurement to construct the line was in progress. One estimate for the extra stop would be $850,000. In addition, some residents later advocated for the reallocation of a proposed traction power substation near their neighborhood fearing it would be unsightly and lower property values. The substation would be a container-size structure that would sit in an expropriated area of a parking lot.
* Some residents in Mississauga and Brampton were concerned about disruptions due to construction, aesthetics and the cost of the project.
Design changes
Main Street cancellation
Before its cancellation, the Main Street route was controversial. At a Brampton Council meeting on July 8, 2015, five of the eleven councillors opposed to the Main Street route argued that the LRT plan was being directed by Mississauga with Brampton absent from negotiation. They demanded an alternative route funded by the provincial government.
On October 28, 2015, Brampton City Council voted 7–4 against allowing the LRT to run along Main Street through its heritage downtown area, as originally planned by the province. Without this agreement, the province has indicated it would move ahead with the project, terminating the LRT at Steeles Avenue (
Brampton Gateway Terminal
Brampton Gateway Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the south-central and western areas of Brampton, Ontario. It is located on the north-west corner of Steeles Avenue and Main Street adjoining the Shoppers World Brampton shopping ...
) instead of Brampton GO Station.
Opposed council members had also previously cited a lack of projected growth along the northern half of the proposed Brampton route to support an LRT.
Proponents said the Main Street route advocated by the province would have revived the city's struggling downtown core. However, opponents argued that the Main Street route lacked potential for ridership and future growth.
According to City of Brampton's transit ridership data, the current ridership along Main Street has an average of 200 riders per hour per direction on weekdays and Brampton's downtown has a ridership of about 450 passengers an hour.
Opponents were also concerned that running the LRT on Main Street in Brampton's historic downtown would diminish its heritage character and have an impact on downtown parking.
There was also a concern that the city might have to pay up to $100 million for relocating utilities, road resurfacing, traffic redirection, landscaping, etc.
Although all councillors were in support of an LRT, they disagreed on the route it should take. Councillors opposing the Main Street route have proposed running the LRT east or west along Steeles Avenue and then north to Queen Street where it would then possibly continue east from Brampton's downtown area to the
Bramalea GO Station
Bramalea GO Station is a GO Transit railway and bus station along the Kitchener line in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1713 Steeles Avenue East, near the community of Bramalea at Steeles Ave. East and Bramalea Road.
Like many other ...
or possibly all the way to the
terminus
Terminus may refer to:
* Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination
* Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination
Geography
*Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...
of the
western branch
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
of the
Toronto subway
The Toronto subway is a rapid transit system serving Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is a multimodal transport, multimodal rail network consisting of three Pa ...
's
Line 1 Yonge–University
Line 1 Yonge–University is a rapid transit line on the Toronto subway. It serves Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 38 stations and is in length, making it th ...
at
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a central business district in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Measuring , the district is located at the intersection of Highway 7 and Jane Street, northeast of the Ontario Highway 400, Highway 400 and Ontario Highway 40 ...
.
In March 2013, Brampton City Council asked city staff to consider two alternative routes north from Steeles Avenue, either (1) partially north on Main Street, east to
Peel Memorial Hospital
Peel Memorial Hospital (PMH) was a 367-bed acute care hospital located in central Brampton, Ontario. PMH was founded in 1925 and became a part of the William Osler Health Centre in 1998. It previously served approximately 400,000 residents in Br ...
, north to Queen Street and west to Brampton GO Station, or (2) north on Kennedy Road, west on Queen Street to Brampton GO Station.
Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig said the provincial money allocated to the Main Street route in Brampton would now be available for other transit projects across the province. However, McCuaig also said Metrolinx would be open to evaluate alternate transit proposals from Brampton for provincial funding for the next round of transit initiatives.
On November 3, 2015, Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced that the funding for the cancelled Main Street route will be invested in priority transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area which might or might not include Brampton.
At its February 20, 2020 meeting, the Metrolinx Board of Directors endorsed a prioritization framework for a proposed Frequent Rapid Transit Network that was inclusive of a proposed LRT extension from Brampton Gateway Terminal to Brampton GO Station; with a forecasted ridership of 5,500 in 2031 and a proposed line length of 3.3 km along Hurontario Street, the project scored 'Medium' with a preliminary benefit-cost ratio of 0.66 - 0.90.
In January 2022, Brampton city staff were working on two alternative plans to extend the Hurontario LRT from Brampton Gateway Terminal to Brampton GO Station in downtown Brampton. One plan was to extend the LRT on the surface at a cost of $500 million. The alternative plan was to put most of the extension underground costing $1.7 billion. Brampton prefers the underground plan and is asking upper levels of government to cover the extra cost of the preferred plan. City Council approved the recommendation to progress the LRT extension study to 30% Preliminary Design and to prepare a Draft Environmental Project Report for both alternatives. Brampton needs to replace its aging water mains, and the choice between a surface or underground LRT extension must be made before Brampton can finish planning for water main replacement.
Brampton politicians, including Mayor Patrick Brown, have been advocating for the Main Street extension.
City Centre loop cancellation
A branch-loop was planned around Mississauga City Centre and Square One Shopping Centre. The loop would have served most of the City Centre at a walking distance of , and included stops on Burnhamthorpe Road, Duke of York Boulevard, and Rathburn Road. On March 21, 2019, Metrolinx announced that most of the downtown loop would be cancelled due to financial restrictions, although a short spur and stop on Rathburn would remain.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie indicated that the rest of the loop could be built at a later phase.
In September 2021, it was listed as one of the city's six transportation priorities by
Mississauga City Council
Mississauga City Council is the governing body of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
The council consists of the mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a ...
.
On February 14, 2022, at a press conference at Cooksville GO Station to honour former Mayor Hazel McCallion, Premier Doug Ford offered to complete the loop but did not specify a time frame. Reinstating the loop was estimated to cost between $300 million and $400 million, and could be added after completion of the line. Mississauga politicians, including Mayor Bonnie Crombie, had been advocating for the loop's reinstatement.
Other design changes
Circa 2010, the LRT was to have extended south of Lakeshore Road turning west on Port Street terminating at Elizabeth Street.
At a 2013 open house, local residents objected to this extension as an invasion of a residential area and an inconenience for pedestrians and motorists using the street.
The Price Street extension was subsequently dropped; thus, the LRT would terminate at the Port Credit stop beside the GO station.
On March 21, 2019, in addition to cancelling the City Centre loop, Metrolinx also cancelled a stop at Highway 407 and a pedestrian bridge at Cooksville GO Station to reduce project costs.
Originally, the Brampton Gateway stop was to be located on the north side of Steeles Avenue. After the cancelation of the Main Street segment of the line in 2015, the City of Brampton asked Metrolinx to relocate the stop to the south side to allow for a future extension north along either Kennedy Road or McLaughlin Road. Thus, Metrolinx changed the stop location. However, by January 2022, Brampton reversed its decision and requested that the stop be moved back to the north side so that riders would not have to cross Steeles Avenue to transfer between the LRT and the bus terminal. Metrolinx said they would consider Brampton's request out of safety concerns.
According to a published 2017 design, the LRT would occupy the centre median of Hurontario Street as it crossed over the Highway 403 intersection on a bridge. At the southern approach to the bridge, there would be an junction for an LRT branch to the Mississauga City Centre, and the junction would have crossed the southbound traffic lanes of Hurontario Street and a Highway 403 exit ramp at grade.
By 2021, this design changed. Instead, the LRT would be located on the west side of Hurontario Street on its own elevated guideway. A second guideway would branch off the first leading to City Centre. Metrolinx said a third elevated guideway would "extend from Square One Drive, going north west" without providing further details.
Procurement
In 2010, Metrolinx placed an order for 182
Flexity Freedom
The Alstom Flexity Freedom is a low-floor, articulated light rail vehicle developed by Bombardier Transportation (and later Alstom) for the North American market. It is marketed as part of the Bombardier Flexity family which includes other ...
vehicles manufactured by
Bombardier for use on the light rail lines it was building in the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
. However, by 2016, Bombardier was having delivery problems supplying vehicles for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (officially
Line 5 Eglinton
Line 5 Eglinton (also known as the Eglinton Crosstown or the Crosstown) is a light rail line that is under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be part ...
). Thus, Metrolinx would seek another vehicle supplier for its other LRT lines.
Infrastructure Ontario
The Ministry of Infrastructure is a ministry responsible for public infrastructure in the Canadian province of Ontario. The current minister is Kinga Surma.
It is currently responsible for two crown agencies: Waterfront Toronto and Infrastructure ...
(IO) and
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
decided to deliver the Hurontario LRT project according to IO's Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model which basically is a
public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review, Public Administ ...
arrangement.
On October 18, 2016, IO and Metrolinx started the procurement process by issuing a request for qualifications to design, build, operate and maintain the Hurontario LRT. The request said bidders could offer to supply 44 light rail vehicles, which implied that Metrolinx would break its contract with Bombardier for the delivery of Flexity Freedom vehicles.
On June 6, 2017, IO and Metrolinx announced that three teams had been shortlisted:
* Hurontario Light Rail Connection Partners (HLCP) including
equity
Equity may refer to:
Finance, accounting and ownership
* Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them
** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business
** Home equity, the dif ...
providers
Cintra
Cintra, S.A. (Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, translated as Toll Transport Infrastructures) is one of the largest private developers of transport infrastructure in the world. Its assets are fundamentally toll roads and car parks, ...
,
Colas and
Acciona
Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energy, produces 21 te ...
. In the HLCP team, the constructors are Acciona,
Ferrovial
Ferrovial, S.A. (), previously Grupo Ferrovial, is a Spanish multinational company involved in the design, construction, financing, operation (DBFO) and maintenance of transport infrastructure and urban services. It is a publicly traded company ...
, Colas, DPM Energy and LURA Consulting. The designers are
Arup,
SENER
SENER is a private engineering and technology group founded in 1956, and specialises in activities related to Engineering and Construction, and has industrial holdings in companies working in the areas of energy, environment and aeronautics.
SEN ...
, Dillon Consulting, DTAH and Grimshaw. Operation and maintenance would be provided by
RATP Dev RATP may refer to:
Transportation:
* RATP Group, or ', a public transport operator based in Paris, France
* RATP Iași (), a transit operator responsible for public transportation in Iași, Romania
* RATP Ploiești (), a transit operator responsib ...
, Acciona, and
Colas Rail
Colas Rail is a railway infrastructure and rail freight company primarily active in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the French industrial group Bouygues.
Colas Rail was originally created as ''Seco Rail'', named after its then-paren ...
.
* Mobilinx including equity providers
Astaldi
Astaldi S.p.A. is an Italian multinational major construction company based in Rome. The group is active in the fields of civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, Electromechanical Engineering and transportation.
Significant subsidiaries incl ...
,
John Laing,
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
-
Ansaldo STS
Hitachi Rail STS SpA (from ''Hitachi Rail Signalling and Transportation Systems'') or Hitachi Rail STS (previously Ansaldo STS) is a transportation company owned by Hitachi with a global presence in the field of railway signalling and integrated t ...
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
History
The group was formed by the merger of V ...
and Amico. In the Mobilinx team, the constructors are Astaldi, Hitachi, Amico and Bot. The designers are IBI, Hitachi, Morrison Hershfield, Arcadis and Daoust Lestage. Operation and maintenance would be provided by
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
History
The group was formed by the merger of V ...
, Hitachi-Ansaldo and Astaldi.
* Trillium Transit Partners including equity providers
Kiewit
{{Infobox settlement
, official_name = Kiewit
, other_name =
, native_name =
, nickname =
, settlement_type = Village
, motto =
, image_skyline = Hasselt - Sint-La ...
,
Meridiam
Meridiam is a global investor and asset manager based in Paris specialized in developing, financing and managing long-term public infrastructure projects. Founded in 2005, Meridiam invests in public infrastructure in Europe, North America and Af ...
and
Keolis
Keolis is a multinational transportation company that operates public transport systems. The company manages bus, rapid transit, tram, coach networks, rental bikes, car parks, water taxi, cable car, trolleybus and funicular services.
Based ...
. In this team, the constructors are Peter Kiewit Sons, Bird, Mass Electric, Black and MacDonald and Coco Paving. The designers are Stantec Consulting, STV, Perkins + Will, Urban Strategies and Entuitive. Operation and maintenance would be provided by
Keolis
Keolis is a multinational transportation company that operates public transport systems. The company manages bus, rapid transit, tram, coach networks, rental bikes, car parks, water taxi, cable car, trolleybus and funicular services.
Based ...
.
On December 1, 2017, IO and Metrolinx announced that the route would employ 44
Citadis Spirit
The Alstom Citadis Spirit is a low-floor articulated light rail vehicle developed by Alstom for Ottawa's O-Train. It is marketed as part of its Alstom Citadis family, which includes other models of light rail vehicles, and is based on the Cita ...
vehicles, from
Alstom
Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
to be manufactured at a new assembly plant in Brampton. These vehicles are longer and have higher capacity than the
Flexity Freedom
The Alstom Flexity Freedom is a low-floor, articulated light rail vehicle developed by Bombardier Transportation (and later Alstom) for the North American market. It is marketed as part of the Bombardier Flexity family which includes other ...
vehicles purchased by Metrolinx for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
On May 23, 2019, IO and Metrolinx announced that proposal have been submitted by only two of the three shortlisted teams of private companies, namely Mobilinx and Trillium Transit Partners.
Hurontario Light Rail Connection Partners did not submit a proposal.
On October 21, 2019, IO and Metrolinx announced that Mobilinx had been awarded the contract to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Hurontario LRT for a period of 30 years. The total contract value was $4.6billion with a completion date of the fourth quarter of 2024 was set in the announcement.
John Laing,
Astaldi
Astaldi S.p.A. is an Italian multinational major construction company based in Rome. The group is active in the fields of civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, Electromechanical Engineering and transportation.
Significant subsidiaries incl ...
,
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
History
The group was formed by the merger of V ...
, Amico, and
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
are part of the consortium.
Construction
In spring 2020, construction started on the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility, just south of Highway 407.
By January 2021, excavation work had started to build the LRT's below-ground Port Credit station in a trench adjacent to the
Port Credit GO Station
Port Credit GO Station is a GO Transit train and bus station in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. Located in the Port Credit neighbourhood, it is a stop on the Lakeshore West line train service. Port Credit GO has been identified by Metrolinx as a tran ...
.
A passage for the LRT is required under GO Transit's Lakeshore West line; Mobilinx will create the passage using the Verona System.
Three temporary bridges will be constructed under GO line using piles and beams. A hollow, concrete "push box" structure will be constructed in the trench and pushed under the railway line using hydraulic jacks while excavation clears a path. This will be done without disrupting overhead railway traffic with most work occurring at night. The temporary bridges will be removed and the GO tracks will lie on top of the push box which will be a permanent part of the LRT infrastructure.
In related work, a wider channel and flood walls are being added to Mary Fix Creek which runs on the north side of the Lakeshore West right-of-way before curving on the west side of the LRT right-of-way.
The road bridge over the creek at Inglewood Drive will be replaced by a new bridge further south opposite Eaglewood Boulevard which will be extended west from Hurontario Street. At Eaglewood and Hurontario, there will be a new signalized intersection with the LRT crossing Eaglewood between the creek and the west side of Hurontario.
By April 2022, the first tracks were being laid at the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF). In later phases of construction, LRT tracks will be laid on Hurontario Street north and south from the junction to the OMSF.
By July 2022, construction started on the guideway on Hurontario Street working northbound from Matheson Boulevard to Britannia Road. At the operations, maintenance and storage facility, of track had already been laid.
Track construction started in September 2022 at various intersections along Hurontario Street between Sandstone Drive (south of Britannia Road) and Matheson Boulevard.
On Hurontario Street at the Queen Elizabeth Way, the push box technique was used to create new northbound traffic lanes under the QEW so that the space for the current northbound lanes can be used for the LRT.
Route
Description
The LRT line will have a dedicated right-of-way throughout the entire corridor. Most of the corridor will be along Hurontario Street with the LRT in a reserved centre median and with two lanes in each direction for general traffic plus turning lanes. General traffic will cross tracks only at major signalized intersections.
The LRT line will begin at the Port Credit GO Station where the LRT station will be below grade on the west side of Hurontario Street just east of the GO station building.
After passing under GO transit's Lakeshore West line, the LRT will continue north for about on the west side of Hurontario Street before crossing over to the LRT's centre median.
The line will cross under the
Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario linking Toronto with the Niagara Peninsula and Buffalo, New York. The freeway begins at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels around the western ...
along the former northbound lanes of Hurontario, with new northbound lanes for road traffic passing beneath the QEW in a new tunnel.
At
Dundas Street
Dundas Street is a major historic arterial road in Ontario, Canada. The road connects the city of Toronto with its western suburbs and several cities in southwestern Ontario. Three provincial highways— 2, 5, and 99—followed long sectio ...
, the LRT could connect to a proposed
Dundas bus rapid transit. The LRT will indirectly connect to
Cooksville GO Station
Cooksville GO Station is a GO Transit train and bus station the Milton line in the community of Cooksville in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 3210 Hurontario Street, near Dundas and Hurontario Streets. The future Hurontario LRT wil ...
using the LRT's Cooksville stop at John Street.
Further north, between the Robert Speck stop and
Highway 403, the line will switch to the west side of Hurontario Street and run onto an
elevated guideway. Midway across this guideway there will be a Y-junction for a spur descending to Rathburn Road and terminating at the Mississauga City Centre stop. Here there will be connections to the
Mississauga Transitway
The Mississauga Transitway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It comprises a series of purpose-constructed bus-only roadways, as well as reserved lanes on existing city streets and portions of Highway 403, that ...
and the
Mississauga City Centre Transit Terminal
The City Centre Transit Terminal in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada is the main transit hub and bus station for MiWay, the city's public transit system. The station is situated in Mississauga City Centre at the northwest corner of Square One Shopp ...
, and access to
Square One Shopping Centre
Square One Shopping Centre, or simply Square One, is a shopping mall located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest shopping centre in Ontario and the second largest shopping centre in Canada, after the West Edmonton Mall. It h ...
. To leave the stop, light-rail trains must reverse back to the mainline, before crossing over Highway 403 on the elevated guideway and returning to centre median running on Hurontario on the north side of the highway.
The first stop north of Highway 403 will be at Eglinton Avenue, with stops at Bristol Road, Matheson Boulevard, Britannia Road, Courtneypark Drive, and Derry Road. North of Derry, at Topflight Drive, there will be a junction to the line's maintenance and storage facility.
The line will then enter Brampton, with two stops at Ray Lawson Drive and the north leg of County Court Boulevard before terminating at the
Brampton Gateway Terminal
Brampton Gateway Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the south-central and western areas of Brampton, Ontario. It is located on the north-west corner of Steeles Avenue and Main Street adjoining the Shoppers World Brampton shopping ...
on
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east–west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of Regional Municipality of York, York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western and central Greater Toronto Area from ...
,
which offers connections to the
511 Züm Steeles
511 Zum Steeles is a bus rapid transit route in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The final corridor outlined in Phase 1 started service on November 26, 2012.
The route runs from the Brampton Gateway Terminal at Steeles Avenue and Hurontario Street to ...
BRT line.
Stations and connections
There will be 19 stations throughout the corridor with an average spacing of 850 metres and will feature 90-metre (300-foot) platforms.
They are expected to have heated shelters, CCTV cameras, real-time information system and bicycle lockers. Most of them will feature secondary entrances, but since most of the corridor is currently suburban in nature, these secondary entrances create mid-block crossings throughout Hurontario and Main Streets, which enhance pedestrian access.
[ Note: pdf out-of-date as Main St, Price St and City Centre loop since dropped]
In January 2018, a consultation process was started to select unique and memorable names for the stops. To avoid or minimize duplication of existing transit station names in the Greater Toronto Area, the stops at Dundas Street and Eglinton Avenue were named "Dundas & Hurontario" and "Eglinton & Hurontario" respectively to avoid potential rider confusion with and stations on the
Toronto subway
The Toronto subway is a rapid transit system serving Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is a multimodal transport, multimodal rail network consisting of three Pa ...
system, as well as (in the case of Eglinton)
Eglinton GO station
Eglinton GO Station is a train station that serves the Scarborough Village and Eglinton East neighbourhoods of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a station on the Lakeshore East line of the GO Transit rail network. This station is one of few GO st ...
. The stop at Central Parkway was named "Fairview" as there is already a
Central Parkway station on the Mississauga Transitway.
Operations
The LRT is planned to run every 5 minutes during rush hours, and every 10 minutes for the rest of the week. Service hours on the LRT corridor are planned to be between 5:00 AM and 1:30 AM Mondays to Saturdays and 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays and holidays. Bus service is expected to supplement the remaining hours, making the Hurontario corridor have a 24/7 transit operation. The LRT will take 40 minutes to travel the whole route, compared to 58 minutes by private automobile.
[ Note: pdf out-of-date as Main St, Price St and City Centre loop since dropped]
The LRT is planned to have multiple-unit trains, carrying up to about 600 people. Station will have platforms of at least 90 metres long to accommodate the trains.
The line will have 13
traction substation
A traction substation, traction current converter plant, rectifier station or traction power substation (TPSS) is an electrical substation that converts electric power from the form provided by the electrical power industry for public utility se ...
s, each housed within a steel structure about the size of a shipping container, to convert from AC to DC and to provide electricity for the LRT.
The line will use 44
Alstom
Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
Citadis Spirit
The Alstom Citadis Spirit is a low-floor articulated light rail vehicle developed by Alstom for Ottawa's O-Train. It is marketed as part of its Alstom Citadis family, which includes other models of light rail vehicles, and is based on the Cita ...
light rail vehicles,
which are 100 percent low-floor for accessibility. Each vehicle will be long and can carry up to 292 riders sitting and standing depending on the seating arrangement. Although the maximum speed for the vehicle is , the actual operating speed will be lower.
[
Vehicles will be stored and maintained at the new Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF) adjacent to a ]hydro corridor
Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is d ...
and Highway 407. The OMSF will occupy of land providing room for expansion.
The main building will have an area of and contain five through tracks, a vehicle repair shop, a cleaning facility and material storage. Its second floor will contain offices and control rooms for operational staff, meeting rooms and staff break rooms. There will be 12 exterior tracks in the yard. The facility will be able to hold up to 42 light rail vehicles (LRVs).
Rail access from the OMSF will be via Edwards Boulevard and Topflight Drive to a junction with the main line on Hurontario Street.
Existing bus service
On May 16, 2011, MiWay
MiWay (pronounced "my way"; stylized miWAY), also known as Mississauga Transit and originally as Mississauga Transit Systems, is the municipal public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and is responsible to the city's Tra ...
realigned service along Hurontario to include limited-stop service (Route 202) during Saturdays for passengers wishing to bypass Square One.
On September 6, 2011, Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit (BT) is a public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974. In , the system had a ...
launched its second bus rapid transit line, Route 502 Züm
Züm (pronounced Zoom, IPA: /zuːm/) is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. There are connections to the City of Mississauga, York Region, a ...
Main, which runs from Sandalwood Parkway to Mississauga City Centre all week long. This route replaced MiWay's 102 Intercity Express. Züm buses run every 10 minutes during rush hours and 20 minutes during off-peak hours and weekends. The frequency of its local counterpart, 2 Main, was reduced to boost ridership in the express service.
At the same date, MiWay replaced 202 Hurontario with a new route, 103 Hurontario Express, which offers additional mid-day and evening services. Its local counterpart, 19 Hurontario, was cut to GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...
's Highway 407
The following highways are numbered 407:
Canada
* Manitoba Provincial Road 407
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 407
* Ontario Highway 407
Costa Rica
* National Route 407
Iceland
* Route 407 (Iceland)
Italy
* State road 407
Japan
* Japa ...
Park and Ride to fortify the overlapping express services, however its frequency was further increased to address ongoing overcrowding issues between Britannia and Lakeshore Roads, the busiest section of the corridor. 103 Hurontario Express runs every 17.5 minutes during rush hours, 19 minutes during middays and 24 minutes during Saturdays.
In 2013, Mayor Susan Fennell
Susan Fennell is a Canadian politician, who served as the mayor of Brampton, Ontario from 2000 to 2014. She was also the founder and commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League. Her time as mayor of Brampton was characterized by spending c ...
of Brampton had proposed to run the 502 Züm Main along the entire LRT route to Port Credit as a temporary measure. This would have given Brampton transit users access to the all-day, two-way GO Transit train service at Port Credit. Mayor Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion, (; born February 14, 1921) is a Canadian businesswoman and retired politician who served as the fifth mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, from 1978 until 2014. She is the first and current chancellor of Sheridan College.
McCallion ...
of Mississauga rejected the alternative proposal, citing gridlock south of Mississauga City Centre
Mississauga City Centre is the downtown of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The downtown district is located generally at the intersection of Hurontario Street and Burnhamthorpe Road, centred around Square One Shopping Centre.
Design and layout
M ...
as a reason.
On May 5, 2014, MiWay realigned service along Hurontario corridor once again to provide more 10-minute service on daytime along the express route during weekdays, while cutting Routes 19A, 19B, and 19C for the local service south of Trillium Health Centre, leaving only the main branch of Route 19 to serve the entire Mississauga portion of the corridor from Highway 407 to Port Credit.
On April 27, 2020, Miway has split the route 19 Hurontario into two routes: 2 Hurontario (South) operating between City Centre and Port Credit GO Station and 17 Hurontario (North) operating between the Highway 407 Park & Ride and City Centre to improve reliability during the LRT construction; while on August 3, 2020, route 103 Hurontario Express was truncated to end at the Trillium Health Centre discontinuing express service south of Trillium Health Centre to Port Credit GO Station.
Gallery
File:Courtneypark Station Construction Progress May 2021.jpg, Construction progress of Courtneypark station in May 2021
File:Hurontario St construction works in 202203.jpg, Early LRT construction works in March 2022
File:Courtneypark Station Construction Progress August 2022.jpg, Construction progress of Courtneypark Station in August 2022
See also
* Mississauga Transitway
The Mississauga Transitway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It comprises a series of purpose-constructed bus-only roadways, as well as reserved lanes on existing city streets and portions of Highway 403, that ...
* Züm
Züm (pronounced Zoom, IPA: /zuːm/) is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. There are connections to the City of Mississauga, York Region, a ...
* Line 6 Finch West
Line 6 Finch West, also known as the Finch West LRT, is a light rail line under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. The , 18-stop line is to extend from Finch West station on Line 1 Yonge ...
: another Metrolinx LRT project that uses the Alstom Citadis Spirit
Notes
References
External links
Official project website
* published by Metrolinx on June 12, 2020
{{Canadian passenger rail systems
Light rail in Canada
The Big Move projects
Public–private partnership projects in Canada
Buildings and structures under construction in Canada
Passenger rail transport in Peel Region
2024 in rail transport