A new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line has picked up a massive funding boost from the province and federal government, the City of Mississauga announced last Thursday.
The city will receive $113.5 million in funding through a major infrastructure program to help fund various transit projects, including $55.5 million earmarked towards the new BRT line, which will service three stops in the Lakeview area in south Mississauga.
The federal government will put in $62 million through public transit infrastructure funding, while the province will chip in $51.5 million for the new line, which will service East Avenue, near the corner of Cawthra and Lakeshore Road, to Deta Road, situated near the Mississauga-Etobicoke border.
Representatives from all three levels of government said last week that the move will boost accessible and sustainable public transit throughout the area. “Both the federal and provincial government understand the pressing need to invest in Mississauga’s public transit infrastructure as the city continues to grow,” Mayor Bonnie Crombie said in an online news conference last week.
“The investment will help us improve passenger safety and build a more reliable transit system.” The city will also contribute $44.5 million towards transit-related projects, with funds earmarked towards new signage, bus shelters, bus fleet rehabilitation and associated initiatives.
In total, 12 projects will be funded through the new investment. “With this investment, we’ll be able to build sustainable infrastructure for our transit system and help stimulate our local economy by connecting people through reliable transit,” said the city’s chief administrative officer, Gary Kent.
