Allandale25
Senior Member
Just back from vacation and see you replied.....so:
4. I believe McMurchy route is only on the list because it would serve the high potential user group that exists at Sheridan college.....this group, alone, would probably provide higher ridership numbers than the entire stretch on Main (which I still think is the best route overall) between Steeles and Brampton GO. So I am not sure why you chose a picture from ~500 m north of Sheridan to judge the route (or maybe I can figure it out )) )
What I don't (and never will) understand is why the province threw fuel on the fire by treating Brampton completely different than any other municipality that had the temerity to put local input into an LRT project.
Just to get into the weeds. Only part of the McMurchy route that touches near Sheridan would use McMurchy (per below).
What follows could be seen as playing devil's advocate. Risky, but I'll do it anyways.
Some at the Province may have assumed that a single swing vote on Council could have changed the outcome and were surprised when it didn't work out that way. Staff/non-political folks may have justified in their minds their support for the route as looking at Brampton's own OP and participation in the Master Plan (probably starting at the same time as the first comment in this thread) and then then TPAP. One of the Councillors even asked about the George St loop option (and not the others) at AMO conference with the Minister about two months before the final vote.
So, I think from the Province's perspective they had enough to go on, in their minds, that it was a strong contender based on local preferences. Lifes comes at you fast as they say. Turned out there was strong opposition by some on Council and their supporters and it became more clear. I don't think we'll get a repeat of that situation.
One would think it would make the Province (under any government) only present and fund deals when they have a locked down commitment before going public. Maybe they wouldn't want to risk another Brampton or Toronto change of heart, or indecisiveness in even Hamilton. Doug Ford is saying Hamilton can use the $1B LRT money for anything and the ONDP have said their has been "waffling" on the Hamilton LRT project (page 60 in the platform here).