Mississauga Transit ready to build

The City of Mississauga received $65 million in funding from the province to support Mississauga’s Rapid Transit program aimed at developing the Mississauga Transitway (BRT) — a separate right-of-way with 12 stations.

MISSISSAUGA

Of the province’s $65 million, $62.8 million will go to the BRT East, stretching from Mississauga’s City Centre along the Highway 403, Eastgate Parkway and Eglinton Avenue corridors to Renforth Drive; and $2.2 million towards funding the Hurontario Street feasibility and environmental assessment studies for the provision of higher order transit.

“When we talk about higher-order transit,” says Wendy Alexander, Director, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning for the Transportation and Works Department, “we refer to ways by which we can move people more quickly along Mississauga’s busiest transit corridor. This could include ideas such as LRT (light rapid transit) where dedicated rail lines are installed.”

For its part, the city will allocate $64.3 million to the BRT East and $2.2 million to the Hurontario project for a total of $66.5 million. In addition, the city will receive the benefit of $25 million in provincial funding to GO Transit, to be applied to the BRT project. The BRT is a joint project of Mississauga and GO Transit with both agencies expected to run buses along the corridor.

“We are ready to go,” said Martin Powell, Commissioner of Transportation and Works. “We already have provincial environmental assessment approval for the BRT. What we need now is for the federal government to contribute its one-third share so that the BRT can be fully constructed to Renforth Drive.”

The inter-regional BRT corridor is a key initiative, along with the Hurontario corridor project, of Mississauga’s Rapid Transit Program.

Construction is anticipated to be completed by 2011.

DCN NEWS SERVICES