Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney has told Brampton that the Progressive Conservative provincial government has no plans to fund the downtown extension of the Hurontario Street light rail transit.
Mulroney, visiting Brampton to speak at a Board of Trade event, told the business crowd that no extension or funding for the LRT is being considered, nor is it part of the province’s GTA transit master plan.
She said that additional funding would need to be found to make it happen.
“There is flexibility built into that contract for changes along the way. So, the LRT could be extended further north into Brampton or further south in Mississauga. The loop that de-scoped from the project could one day be done,” said Mulroney.
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Brampton council has been advocating and planning for the LRT extension. As it stands, the LRT project (approved by the province) runs north-south along Hurontario Street between the Port Credit GO station in Mississauga and the Brampton Gateway Terminal at Steeles Avenue in Brampton.
The current Brampton council wants that line extended into the downtown core.
Previously, the former council in 2015 (led by mayor Linda Jeffrey) turned down full provincial funding for the project in 2015, opting instead to pursue alternative routes around Hurontario/Main Street.
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After Mayor Patrick Brown won the 2018 election, the new council decided unanimously to move back to the original proposed route on Hurontario/Main Street, along with a possible tunnel.
Mulroney did hold out a carrot to Brampton, saying she would “encourage” the city put forward a business case. According to The Brampton Guardian, she said the MTO would work with the city on the proposal.
