Mississauga mayoral candidate Bonnie Crombie says “it is time” to extend the TTC’s Line 2 subway “into the heart of Mississauga.” In a news release issued this week, Crombie unveiled a transportation plan dubbed “Mississauga Moves 2.0.” The centrepiece of the plan is a proposed extension of Line 2 into Mississauga, which she says would create a direct subway connection between the city and Toronto’s existing transit network. “The long-term objective is to extend the Toronto Transit Commission’s Line 2 west from Kipling, serve Sherway Gardens and continue into the heart of Mississauga, creating a direct connection between the city and Toronto’s subway network,” she said in a news release. If elected, Crombie says that in her first year as mayor, she would seek a formal partnership with Ontario, Metrolinx, the City of Toronto and the TTC to launch a business case study examining potential routes, station locations, ridership and construction options. The study would also look at the possibility of running the subway above-ground along parts of the Dundas Street corridor rather than assuming the entire extension would have to be underground. “Vaughan is on the subway map. Scarborough is getting a major subway extension... Mississauga should be part of that conversation too,” Crombie added. She also plans to connect the subway extension with other existing and planned rapid transit projects, including the Hazel McCallion Line, Mississauga Transitway and MiWay. The Hazel McCallion Line is another major focus of the plan. Crombie is calling for the line to open to passengers “no later than” by Dec. 31, 2028. “Within the first 100 days of the next Council term, the City should ask Metrolinx and Ontario to publish a transparent milestone schedule showing what remains to be completed, when testing will begin and what needs to happen before passengers can board,” she added. Beyond the LRT, Crombie is proposing 15-minute-or-better all-day service on major MiWay corridors and 10-minute-or-better service on the busiest routes where ridership supports it. She is also proposing an Airport Workforce Transit Network connecting to Pearson International Airport, adding that the service would be designed around the early mornings, late evenings, weekends and shift changes of airport workers. When it comes to roads, Crombie is proposing a “Traffic Flow First” program that would “synchronize traffic signals,” and expand adaptive signal technology. She says it’s an effort to get “more capacity and reliability out of the infrastructure the city already has.” The plan would also include stronger enforcement against vehicles and construction activity blocking travel lanes during peak periods, as well as an annual congestion report card tracking travel times, delays, transit reliability and construction impacts. “The purpose of better transit is partly to give more people an alternative so fewer vehicles are competing for the same road space,” Crombie said. CTV News has reached out to the other mayoral candidates for their transit priorities and will update this story once received.
