Mississauga councillors approve $26.3 million in funding for Hurontario LRT
Funding for operation and maintenance of project still unknown

Mississauga.News.com
Oct. 18, 2017
Rachael Williams

City councillors have approved an extra $26.3 million in funding for infrastructure upgrades associated with the Hurontario Light Rail Transit project.

The funding will go toward storm sewer upgrades and replacements, installation of a backup power supply at signalized intersections and variable message signs displaying traffic alerts, arrival and departure times and other service information.

This is above and beyond the $26.6 million council approved in July for project enhancements, including refinements to boulevard designs, streetscape upgrades, bus bay shelter upgrades, lighting and utility relocation.

“We need to look at this as a huge investment opportunity for transit in our city,” said downtown Coun. John Kovac.

The $1.4 billion Hurontario LRT (HuLRT) will bring 20-kilometres of rapid transit to a city in dire need of improved transit services. With 22 planned stops along the Highway 10 corridor and an annual ridership forecast of 31 million, the HuLRT has been dubbed a “game changer” for Mississauga.

With construction expected to begin in 2018, staff are pouring over capital budget forecasts to determine what infrastructure projects along the HuLRT route can be completed while the roads are already ripped up.

“These are pipes that at some point in the next 10 years we’d have to go in and fix anyways. It just makes sense that we do it in concert with the project,” said city manager Janice Baker.

The city plans to replace sections of sewer pipe between Highway 403 and the QEW, as well as six per cent of the storm sewers along Hurontario. Installation of a backup power supply at signalized intersections is planned to ensure that during power outages, traffic signals will be operational.

The city will also install electronic messaging signs at stops along the LRT corridor. The signs are meant to help integrate the HuLRT with existing local and regional transit by displaying key route information. The technology has been introduced at the City Centre transit terminal and is slowly being used by other transit agencies across the Greater Toronto Area.

What remains elusive in the final cost projections for the HuLRT is who will be paying for its operation and maintenance.