Brampton LRT Comes with Real Estate Opportunities

Real-estate values alongside any central transportation corridor usually appreciates substantially in value. Like the stock market, investors can make an informed decision about investing in an investor who researches the company.  Brampton's population will soon reach 700,000 residents, while Mississauga's population is around 800,000. Mississauga has a fine eighteen-kilometre transportation line with 19 stops extending from Port Credit to the Brampton Gateway Terminal.

Brampton City Council met recently to revisit plans on building a Light Rail System (LRT) from north of Steeles Avenue to the Go Station near Queen Street. LRT is a transportation system with electrically powered light rail vehicles (LRV) operating on cables. In 2015, the Brampton City Council, in a 6-5 vote, killed the plan to build the LRT. The Ontario Government funds the LRT project. Had Brampton City Council voted in favour of the project in 2015, the Brampton LRT would have been almost completed.

With fresh eyes, Patrick Brown, Brampton's current mayor, took a second look at the project in 2019. In 2021, The Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) came up with two options. The first option is to build a surface rail from Steeles to the Brampton downtown Go Station, and the second is to make an underground rail from Nanwood Drive to the downtown core.

The surface railway would have three stops in both directions at Charolais Boulevard, Nanwood Drive, and the third between Wellington and Queen Street. The north terminal would be below grade near the downtown Go Station, and stairs and elevators would connect the platform with the GO Station. 

With this option, the LRT would have dedicated centre lanes from Nanwood Drive to Wellington Street with regular traffic on both sides. Engineers must restrict bicycle paths and left turn lanes with the surface option, it would be noisier for residents and businesses and would be susceptible to daily traffic. This option would cost 933 million dollars and be finished in about five years.

The second option is to have two underground stations located at Nanwood Drive and south of the downtown GO station. The tunnel portal would be at Elgin Drive, and the downtown terminal would be between Main Street and Neilson Street. 

The underground option would not disturb traffic flow along the Hurontario-Main Street corridor. A tunnel would provide faster commutes and more ridership. Extending the tunnel further north would be easier if needed. The underground version would cost 2.8 billion dollars and would be finished in about seven years. 

LRT is owned and operated by Metrolinx, a crown cooperation of Ontario, whose long-term vision is to develop a sustainable transit network across GTA and Hamilton. Once completed, the Mississauga Brampton LRT transportation network will provide riders with many travel options.

The LRT corridor will eventually become a medium to high-density area where riders can hop on and off the LRT. The LRT will reduce the heavy traffic flow along one of Brampton's busiest roadways. By 2045, one-quarter of the workforce will be living along the Mississauga-Brampton Hurontario-LRT corridor. Those who choose to invest along the corridor today, will enjoy the bountiful harvest tomorrow.

Brampton is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada. The LRT will act as a pressure relief valve, allowing easy commutes for residences. Over time, condos will begin to sprout, and the landscape will change to be like square one. If you cannot buy now, save for when the condos take root. Usually, it takes about five years for the project to finish. By then, the LRT should be on a roll, and if you consider inflation, the price can double. 

Based on my research, investing in properties anywhere along the Hurontario-Main Street corridor will be fruitful. There are many tiny homes scattered on both sides. In the future, the highest and best use for these homes will change to multi-residential or commercial.