VIDEO: Will There Be Another Vote on the LRT in Brampton?

Published August 3, 2018 at 11:35 am

Though Brampton City Council infamously nixed the Hurontario Light-Rail Transit (LRT) project running into the city’s downtown core, it’s true that Brampton has picked up the task of studying alter

Though Brampton City Council infamously nixed the Hurontario Light-Rail Transit (LRT) project running into the city’s downtown core, it’s true that Brampton has picked up the task of studying alternate routes for the LRT in Brampton.

Currently, the LRT is set to stop at Brampton Gateway Terminal. Ultimately, the LRT is supposed to end at Brampton GO Station in downtown Brampton.

But the route straight down Main Street was shot down by Council.

Now, alternate routes down McLaughlin Road or down Kennedy Road are under consideration. Currently, the Hurontario LRT project is set to run from Port Credit GO in Mississauga to Brampton Gateway Terminal, boasting 22 stops with three of them in Brampton. Brampton City Council voted last year to spend $4.4 million to conduct environmental assessments on proposed LRT routes along either McLaughlin or Kennedy.

With a municipal election coming up on October 22, 2018, the LRT is a hot topic.

More specifically, many residents are wondering whether the city will re-consider the Main Street route.

The answer?

Possibly.

Incumbent Mayor Linda Jeffrey told inBrampton.com that she was “disappointed” in Council’s decision to nix the route down Main Street.

When it comes to having a new vote on the LRT running through the downtown core, Jeffrey said that “[Council] will have a conversation, absolutely.”

She said that spending $4.4 million to look at two parallel routes is a waste of taxpayer money.

“That I would not proceed with,” said Jeffrey. “There is no money for any additional LRT from Steeles north, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I need more transit.”

Whether it’s an LRT or a BRT route, Jeffrey said she aims to increase public transit into the downtown core. And with the new Ryerson-Sheridan university coming to downtown Brampton, there might be a huge need for it.

In fact, ridership on Brampton Transit has increased by 18 per cent in 2017 alone.

“Double digits is unheard of,” said Jeffrey.

Of course, the LRT extension north of Brampton Gateway Terminal is a long-term project. While the current plans for the Hurontario LRT could see it running by 2022, some are apprehensive about when Brampton will actually see stops north of the terminal.

Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon once projected that it could be 10 years before there’s an LRT north of Brampton Gateway Terminal.

The city has hired HDR Inc. to study alternate routes.

We’ll keep you posted on what happens next.

Where do you think the LRT should be extended in Brampton?

LRT – Linda Jeffrey – #LIVEWithKhaledI from insauga on Vimeo.

PHOTOS: Here’s What the LRT Would Look Like on Main Street in Brampton >

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