Hurontario-Main Street LRT
Encyclopedia
The Hurontario-Main Street LRT is a planned light rail
line in Peel Region, Ontario
, Canada
. This line will run along Hurontario Street, also called Main Street north of Steeles Avenue
, within the cities of Mississauga
and Brampton
. Due to the involvement of two transit agencies in this project, it is currently unclear which agency will operate the line; however, it is likely that Metrolinx will own the line.
The Cities of Mississauga and Brampton have identified higher-order transit along Hurontario and Main Streets due to the chronic overcrowding situation in Mississauga's (and the 905 region's) busiest bus route, 19 Hurontario, which carries more than 25,000 passengers a day, combined with the massive-scale high-density development proposals along the corridor and the anticipated high growth in both cities. They have identified three options: light rail transit for the entire corridor, bus rapid transit for the enitre corridor, or a combination of both (light rail
south of Mississauga City Centre and bus rapid transit
north of it). After three public information sessions, the residents of both cities agreed overwhelmingly in favour of light rail transit along the full length of the corridor.
The LRT line will cost between $1.025 billion to $1.23 billion.
The LRT line will run from the intersection of Port Street and Elizabeth Street in Port Credit
for better access in the waterfront. The line will then turn left at St. Lawrence Drive. North of Lakeshore Road, St. Lawrence Drive becomes Hurontario Street. At Park Sreet, the LRT will indirectly connect to Port Credit GO Station by a short walk. The line continues northward crossing Queen Elizabeth Way
. At Dundas Street, it will connect to a proposed rapid transit line (either a BRT or an LRT). The LRT will directly connect to Cooksville GO Station using a pedestrian bridge from the LRT stop. The line continues northward until it splits into two branches between Burnhamthorpe Road and Rathburn Road:
From Rathburn Road, the LRT will bridge over Highway 403 then will meet up with Hurontario Street north of the Highway 403 interchange. At Highway 407, the LRT will connect to GO Transit's proposed Highway 407 Transitway. At Steeles Avenue, it connects to Shoppers World Terminal to connect with Züm
Steeles BRT line. North of Steeles, Hurontario Street becomes Main Street. The line will then become one-way when looping at Downtown Brampton. It will turn left at Wellington Street, then turn right at George Street, at Nelson Street, and finally at Main Street. This will connect to Brampton Bus Terminal, Brampton GO Station, and the Züm BRT lines along Queen Street and Main Street North.
In the stations along Rathburn Road, it is proposed that both the LRT and the BRT will share their platforms, with the LRT using the outer sides of the platforms and the BRT using the inner sides. This is possible because the LRT vehicles have doors on both sides.
On May 16, 2011, MiWay realigned service along Hurontario Street to include limited-stop service (Route 202) during Saturdays for passengers wishing to bypass Square One.
In September 6, 2011, Brampton Transit
launched its second bus rapid transit line, Route 502 Züm
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
's Highway 407 Park and Ride to fortify the overlapping express services, however its frequency was further increased to address ongoing overcrowding issues between Britannia Road and Port Credit, 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.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line in Peel Region, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This line will run along Hurontario Street, also called Main Street north of Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within...
, within the cities of Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
and Brampton
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
. Due to the involvement of two transit agencies in this project, it is currently unclear which agency will operate the line; however, it is likely that Metrolinx will own the line.
The Cities of Mississauga and Brampton have identified higher-order transit along Hurontario and Main Streets due to the chronic overcrowding situation in Mississauga's (and the 905 region's) busiest bus route, 19 Hurontario, which carries more than 25,000 passengers a day, combined with the massive-scale high-density development proposals along the corridor and the anticipated high growth in both cities. They have identified three options: light rail transit for the entire corridor, bus rapid transit for the enitre corridor, or a combination of both (light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
south of Mississauga City Centre and bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
north of it). After three public information sessions, the residents of both cities agreed overwhelmingly in favour of light rail transit along the full length of the corridor.
The LRT line will cost between $1.025 billion to $1.23 billion.
Route
The Hurontario-Main Street LRT line will run for 20.8 kilometres (12.9 mi) in 38 minutes, estimated to account for 35.2 million trips in 2031.The LRT line will run from the intersection of Port Street and Elizabeth Street in Port Credit
Port Credit
Port Credit may refer to:* Port Credit, Ontario, a community in the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada* Port Credit GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the community* Port Credit Secondary School, in the Canadian community...
for better access in the waterfront. The line will then turn left at St. Lawrence Drive. North of Lakeshore Road, St. Lawrence Drive becomes Hurontario Street. At Park Sreet, the LRT will indirectly connect to Port Credit GO Station by a short walk. The line continues northward crossing Queen Elizabeth Way
Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way, commonly abbreviated as the QEW, is a 400-Series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The freeway links Buffalo, New York and the Niagara Peninsula with Toronto. It begins at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels around the western shore of Lake Ontario, ending...
. At Dundas Street, it will connect to a proposed rapid transit line (either a BRT or an LRT). The LRT will directly connect to Cooksville GO Station using a pedestrian bridge from the LRT stop. The line continues northward until it splits into two branches between Burnhamthorpe Road and Rathburn Road:
- Downtown alignment: from Hurontario Street, the LRT will turn left at Burnhamthorpe Road, turn right at Living Arts Drive, then turn right at Rathburn Road, then turn left and meet up with the other branch at the intersection of Rathburn Road and City Centre Drive. This branch serves almost all of Mississauga City Centre using a walking distance of 500 metres (1,640.4 ft), including those who are transferring to the BRTMississauga TransitwayThe Mississauga Transitway is a bus-only roadway under construction in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, spanning most of the city from Winston Churchill Boulevard to the junction of Highways 401 and 427 in the city of Toronto. Proposed in the 1970s, the plan has evolved over time...
and City Centre Transit TerminalMississauga City Centre Transit TerminalThe 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 on the northwest corner of Square One Shopping Centre....
. - Mainline alignment: from Hurontario Street, the LRT will turn left at the proposed extension of Absolute Avenue, then turn right at City Centre Drive, and finally meet up with the other branch at Rathburn Road. This branch serves passengers working in the offices in the eastern part of the City Centre and those who want to bypass Downtown Mississauga and allow faster through travel along Hurontario Street. This alignment will also intersect the proposed BRTMississauga TransitwayThe Mississauga Transitway is a bus-only roadway under construction in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, spanning most of the city from Winston Churchill Boulevard to the junction of Highways 401 and 427 in the city of Toronto. Proposed in the 1970s, the plan has evolved over time...
station at Rathburn Road.
From Rathburn Road, the LRT will bridge over Highway 403 then will meet up with Hurontario Street north of the Highway 403 interchange. At Highway 407, the LRT will connect to GO Transit's proposed Highway 407 Transitway. At Steeles Avenue, it connects to Shoppers World Terminal to connect with Züm
Züm
Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. The first phase calls for three corridors operating in mixed traffic, similar to York Region Transit's Viva network...
Steeles BRT line. North of Steeles, Hurontario Street becomes Main Street. The line will then become one-way when looping at Downtown Brampton. It will turn left at Wellington Street, then turn right at George Street, at Nelson Street, and finally at Main Street. This will connect to Brampton Bus Terminal, Brampton GO Station, and the Züm BRT lines along Queen Street and Main Street North.
Right-of-Way
South of the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), the LRT will run in mixed traffic except for the areas near the LRT stations other than Mineola. The reason is that this part of the corridor is surrounded by houses that prevent widening for an exclusive right-of-way, while the areas near South Service, Park Street, and Elizabeth Stations have vacant lots which allow road widening and the LRT running on its own right-of-way. Between the QEW and Peel Village Parkway (north of Charolais Station), the LRT will run on its exclusive right-of-way, including both branches within Mississauga City Centre. Between Peel Village Parkway and Brampton GO Station, the LRT will run with mixed traffic. From Brampton GO Station south to Wellington Street (part of the one-way loop), the LRT will run on its exclusive right-of-way.In the stations along Rathburn Road, it is proposed that both the LRT and the BRT will share their platforms, with the LRT using the outer sides of the platforms and the BRT using the inner sides. This is possible because the LRT vehicles have doors on both sides.
Alternatives
The LRT line can have a few modifications along the route as it enters the later phases of the study:- Within Downtown Brampton, it is possible for the LRT to directly serve Brampton GO Station by tunnelling under the Georgetown line. The assessment of this alignment will be determined in the later phases of the study.
- There is also a proposed diversion to Peel Memorial HospitalPeel Memorial HospitalPeel Memorial Hospital 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 Brampton and the surrounding areas...
, but ultimately rejected due to its floodplain location, significant distance away from Downtown Brampton and increased costs. - The LRT line is designed to perform short turns within Mississauga City Centre from both Brampton and Port Credit in case of accidents, closures or high ridership loads.
Storage and Maintenance
The LRT vehicles will be stored and maintained at a new facility at the hydro corridor adjacent to Highway 407, located next to the proposed Highway 407 Transitway Station.Phases
The LRT will open in two phases:- First Phase (2016): from Downtown Brampton to either Mississauga City Centre or Cooksville GO Station
- Second Phase (2021): from the terminus of the first phase to Port Credit GO Staton
Preparations
| Hurontario-Main Street Corridor Interim Service Plan | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Terminus | Service Span and Average Frequency | Connecting Services | ||||||||||||
| AM Rush | Midday | PM Rush | Evening | Saturdays | Sundays | ||||||||||
| 103 Hurontario Express |
Port Credit GO Station | Shoppers World Terminal Shoppers World Terminal Shoppers World Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the south-central and western areas of Brampton, Ontario, including the neighbourhood of Peel Village. It is located on Steeles Avenue, west of Hurontario Street, in the parking lot of Shoppers World Brampton shopping centre. The... |
17.5 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 24 | - | Brampton Transit Brampton Transit Brampton Transit is public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974.... GO Transit GO Transit GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe... MiWay Züm Züm Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. The first phase calls for three corridors operating in mixed traffic, similar to York Region Transit's Viva network... |
||||||
| Queensway (short turn Short turn In public transport, a short turn or turn-back is an earlier terminus on a bus or rail line that is used on some scheduled trips that do not operate along the full length of the route.... ) |
|||||||||||||||
| 502 Züm Main |
City Centre Transit Terminal 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 on the northwest corner of Square One Shopping Centre.... |
Sandalwood Parkway | 10 (SB) 7 - 13 (NB) |
20 | 10 (SB) 7 - 13 (NB) |
20 | 20 | 20 | |||||||
| 2 Main |
Highway 407 Park and Ride | Heart Lake Terminal | 20 | 20 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 30 | |||||||
| 19+ Hurontario |
Port Credit GO Station | 19 to Highway 407 Park and Ride | 5 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 8.3 | 25 | 13 | 13 | |
| 19A to Britannia Road | 15 | 15 | 15 | - | 25 | - | |||||||||
| 19B to Cantay Road | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | - | - | |||||||||
| 19C to Heartland Town Centre | - | - | - | - | 25 | - | |||||||||
On May 16, 2011, MiWay realigned service along Hurontario Street to include limited-stop service (Route 202) during Saturdays for passengers wishing to bypass Square One.
In September 6, 2011, Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit is public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974....
launched its second bus rapid transit line, Route 502 Züm
Züm
Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. The first phase calls for three corridors operating in mixed traffic, similar to York Region Transit's Viva network...
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
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
's Highway 407 Park and Ride to fortify the overlapping express services, however its frequency was further increased to address ongoing overcrowding issues between Britannia Road and Port Credit, 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.
Stations and connections
| Station | Downtown | Mainline | Platform | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Sreet at Elizabeth Street |
X | X | Centre |
|
| Park Street | X | X | Centre |
|
| Mineola Road | X | X | Farside | |
| South Service Road | X | X | Centre | |
| North Service Road | X | X | Farside | |
| The Queensway The Queensway The Queensway/Queensway Avenue is a major street in the municipalities of Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the western extension of Queen Street, after it merges with King Street near Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto... |
X | X | Farside |
Trillium Health Centre The Trillium Health Centre Bus Terminal is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the northern end of the Mississauga site..The bus terminal only contains a bus shelter.-Bus routes:... bus terminal |
| Dundas Street Dundas Street Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond... |
X | X | Farside |
|
| John Street | X | X | Centre |
|
| Central Parkway | X | X | Farside | |
| Matthews Gate | X | X | Centre | |
| Burnhamthorpe Road at Main Street |
X | Farside | ||
| Living Arts Drive at Princess Royal Drive |
X | Centre | ||
| Rathburn Road at Station Gate Road |
X | Farside Shared with BRT |
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 on the northwest corner of Square One Shopping Centre.... Mississauga Transitway The Mississauga Transitway is a bus-only roadway under construction in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, spanning most of the city from Winston Churchill Boulevard to the junction of Highways 401 and 427 in the city of Toronto. Proposed in the 1970s, the plan has evolved over time... Square One Bus Terminal Square One Bus Terminal is located on Station Gate Road, between Chapters and Playdium, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This regional GO Transit facility is conveniently situated directly across from the Mississauga City Centre Transit Terminal at 200 Rathburn Road West, the main hub for local... |
|
| Absolute Avenue at City Centre Drive |
X | Centre | ||
| Rathburn Road at City Centre Drive |
X | X | Centre (Mainline) Shared with BRT (Downtown) |
Mississauga Transitway The Mississauga Transitway is a bus-only roadway under construction in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, spanning most of the city from Winston Churchill Boulevard to the junction of Highways 401 and 427 in the city of Toronto. Proposed in the 1970s, the plan has evolved over time... |
| Eglinton Avenue Eglinton Avenue Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs... |
X | X | Farside | |
| Bristol Road | X | X | Farside | |
| Matheson Boulevard | X | X | Farside | |
| Britannia Road | X | X | Farisde | |
| Courtneypark Drive | X | X | Farside | |
| Derry Road | X | X | Farside | |
| Highway 407 | X | X | Centre |
|
| Ray Lawson Boulevard | X | X | Farside | |
| Sir Lou Drive | X | X | Farside | |
| Steeles Avenue Steeles Avenue Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within... |
X | X | Centre |
Shoppers World Terminal Shoppers World Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the south-central and western areas of Brampton, Ontario, including the neighbourhood of Peel Village. It is located on Steeles Avenue, west of Hurontario Street, in the parking lot of Shoppers World Brampton shopping centre. The... Züm Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. The first phase calls for three corridors operating in mixed traffic, similar to York Region Transit's Viva network... |
| Charolais Boulevard | X | X | Centre | |
| Nanwood Drive | X | X | Farside | |
| George Street at Wellington Street |
X | X | One-way | |
| Brampton GO Station | X | X | Centre, One-way |
Züm Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto owned and operated by Brampton Transit. The first phase calls for three corridors operating in mixed traffic, similar to York Region Transit's Viva network... |
| Main Street at Wellington Street |
X | X | One-way | |