Mayor Linda Jeffrey addresses her controversial vote last night to vote against further exploration into the Hurontario-Main LRT. In doing so, she has reaffirmed her support for the Main Street LRT route as proposed by the province.
BRAMPTON, ON–Last night Brampton Council slammed the door on a fully funded,regionally integrated LRT plan that would link the Downtown GO terminal in Brampton with the GO terminal in Port Credit.
I strongly support the Hurontario-Main alignment because it was based on extensive studies by City of Brampton staff, expert advice and strong community support.
Let me be very clear, the Hurontario-Main LRT is and always has been my preferred choice and one that I have championed since taking office.
During last night’s Special Council meeting Councillor Medeiros tabled an amendment to the approved HMLRT route approved by the Province that he believed offered a reasonable solution based on comments made by Councillors during the facilitation process. I supported his motion in the spirit of cooperation and compromise.
When Council rejected that effort of compromise I was stunned that a potential solution would be rejected out of hand.
In the ensuing confusion a second motion by Councillor Bowman was presented. That original motion was flagged by staff as being problematic and unworkable – staff helped to amend the wording with the Councillor. I believed at that moment Councillor Bowman’s motion was to allow other options for the LRT to be explored and therefore supported his motion.
The reality is that Councillor Bowman’s motion permanently removes any extension past Steeles Avenue on the Hurontario-Main line. That in my view is completely unacceptable.
This morning I apologized for having failed to see this direction and as a result mistakenly support his motion. I attempted to reopen the motion so I could correct my record and vote against this motion. Council rejected my request.
I am disappointed in the results of yesterday’s vote and the lost opportunity for Brampton and its residents. Fighting gridlock and building a better Brampton has been a key priority for me and one of the reasons I chose to run for Mayor.
The disappointing decision of last night will not stop me in finding solutions that meet the needs of a growing and vibrant city.
The members of Council who voted against Councillors Medeiros’s motion will be held to account by their constituents. It is a decision that will have long-term lasting consequences.
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