Transit type Bus rapid transit | Operator(s) MiWay
GO Transit | |
 | ||
Locale Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Began operation November 17, 2014
(Central Parkway – Dixie)
February 16, 2016
(Tahoe – Etobicoke Creek)
January 2, 2017
(Winston Churchill) Operation will start 2017
(Spectrum - Renforth Gateway) | ||
The Mississauga Transitway is a bus rapid transit system (BRT) 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. In the 1990s, a serious proposal intended to build a transitway from Ridgeway Drive at the very western edge of the city. After the subway line was cancelled, the proposal was revised to its current state. Construction started in November 2010; the first stretch of the transitway between Hurontario Street and Dixie Road opened on November 17, 2014, and other remaining sections have faced delays. With the opening of Tahoe and Etobicoke Creek on 16 February 2016, 9 of 12 Transitway stations are now complete.On January 2, 2017, the Winston Churchill transitway station which is the west terminus of the Mississauga Transitway opened.
Contents
Routes and operations
The plan calls for a dedicated transitway from Winston Churchill Boulevard to Erin Mills Parkway, where buses would then use dedicated shoulder lanes on Highway 403 to reach the City Centre terminal. From there, a dedicated transitway parallels Highway 403 to Cawthra Road and then follow Eastgate Parkway to Eglinton Avenue East, and Eglinton to just west of Renforth Drive.
Bus services along the transitway will operate similarly to the Ottawa Transitway, using a mix of express routes and local routes. Because the transitway does not directly connect to any transit hubs other than the City Centre Terminal, branch routes travel in mixed traffic beyond the ends of the transitway to reach outlying termini.
The transitway is shared by GO Transit and MiExpress buses for inter- and intra-city travel, respectively. The two agencies will use a mix of standard, articulated, and double-decker buses travelling at 80 km/h between stations, and 50 km/h in the stations. MiWay buses stop at all transitway stations, while GO Transit buses will only stop at certain designated stations.
MiWay
On November 17, 2014, MiWay operated three routes along the corridor, with service Monday to Saturday from 4:30 AM to 10:30 PM. On January 8, 2017, with the opening of the new Winston Churchill station, new Sunday service was implemented on 109 Meadowvale Express, effectively service is now available on the Mississauga Transitway 7 days a week. A fourth route, 110 University, only services the Erin Mills station.
GO Transit
GO Transit is currently only using the western portion of the transitway. However, it is planning to eventually divert some of its routes to serve the eastern portion of the transitway. Such routes may include the following:
Stations
The BRT stations consist of platforms, pedestrian walkways, Kiss & Ride areas and Park & Ride lots. All stations are wheelchair-accessible () and have heated waiting areas, similar to Züm.
The following is a list of stations, from west to east:
The Renforth station, to be located one block west at Commerce Boulevard, is currently planned to feature an indirect multimodal interchange with the TTC's proposed Eglinton Crosstown line. The interchange will feature a full-service below grade BRT station, but only at-grade median surface stop for the LRT, requiring transferring passengers to cross Commerce Boulevard and descend a set of stairs to access the BRT.
There will be local and express services, with some buses stopping at all stations, and others stopping only at selected major stations.
Funding and construction
The project, estimated to cost $259 million, is funded as part of the Government of Ontario's MoveOntario 2020 plan, with both the federal and provincial governments contributing up to a total of $173 million. Construction is divided between Metrolinx (via GO Transit) and the City of Mississauga: the former is responsible for the transitway's western segment (between Winston Churchill and Erin Mills), a small portion of the eastern segment (between Hurontario and Cawthra) and Renforth Gateway Station, while the city is in charge of the rest of the project. Construction on the eastern segment began in November 2010, while Metrolinx launched construction of the western segment in November 2013.