GTHA mayors tout benefits of ‘Union Station West’ transit hub at Pearson Airport

Mayors representing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are lending their support to a massive expansion project to turn Pearson International Airport into one of the largest regional transit hubs in the country.

“When we first started this study, we looked at how enhanced transit will help people that both come to the airport or from the airport to get to where their final destination is,” Howard Eng, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), told reporters at a press conference Tuesday morning.

GTAA officials say only 10 per cent of people traveling to the airport take public transit which contributes to the congestion and pollution in and around west-end Toronto and Mississauga.

The first phase of the proposed regional transit centre is expected to be complete by the mid-2020s with a number of transit lines such as trains, light rail cars, and bus lines moving through the hub.

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“We already have lines that are close to and are planned to be built and I think in the coming months you’re going to see more discussion around that,” Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said.

“What we have today is the GTAA stepping forward, bringing information and data to the discussions so we can look at it, and frankly being strong champions for making sure that all of the communities that would be affected by the western half of the GTHA, that there are significant needs in the area.”

The regional transit centre, which will house a passenger processing centre including security screening, will be located across Airport Road from Terminals 1 and 3 along with access from Highways 409 and 427 and from Airport Road.

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The planned $500-million hub will also be home to a new mixed-use commercial area that will include office, retail, hotel and other commercial space.

“We have a young, diverse and innovative population in Brampton that want to be players on the national and international stage,” Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey said. “Better transit and increased connectivity is necessary to fully realize and unlock the value of our city, region and airport.”

Transit lines already in development or that have been proposed include the Eglinton Crosstown West LRT, Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit, Finch West LRT and the Regional Express Rail on the GO Kitchener line.

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“The GTAA is providing the catalyst to actually help us make all of this happen because they are going to bring all these lines together and it will be an additional impetus for us to get the Eglinton Crosstown built, which we fully intend to do,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

“This will help make that happen because there will be a hub where all of these lines come together to connect people to further opportunity.”

GTAA officials say Pearson is the second largest employment zone in Canada after downtown Toronto with just under 50,000 airport workers.

In 2016, 44.3 million passengers travelled through the airport with the numbers expected to grow in the coming years.

VIDEO: Helping you move through Pearson Airport security checks faster

2:57 Helping you move through Pearson Airport security checks faster