Comment 86542

By hshields (registered) - website | Posted February 20, 2013 at 15:13:06

I really do hope Hamilton's efforts to bring LRT comes to past. However, I'm skeptical for a couple of reasons:

  1. Hwy. 403 bridges/ramps were completed without taking into consideration possible LRT pathways. This means if the City wants to bring in LRT, we will need to pay for bridge/ramp retrofits. These are one-off capital expenditures but, they do come from city funds.

  2. Metrolinx has consistently been making noise (either on their own or encouraged by city indifference) that municipalities should pay for a portion of the cost of LRT. If you're Toronto, you get one deal; if you're Mississauga you get another; and if you're Hamilton you get something completely different. Planners should be wary of assuming the City will not have to pay for capital costs + infrastructure upgrades.

  3. HSR is thinking of piloting dedicated transit lanes down Main this summer from Dundurn to Mary. I suspect this is a precursor to determining if ridership is impacted by dedicated transit lines, Bus or LRT. I also suspect this could be used as a very easy excuse for cost-sensitive leadership to say, since Bus Rapid Transit has improved ridership so much, why go forward with LRT? This pilot can be easily used as such so be warned.

  4. I completely agree and support all the reports about economic development spin off and improvements LRT brings to an urban environment. It makes sense in the long-term. I just don't see this leadership we have to be ones to take it that level. Bus rapid transit is where they will settle on and settle is the optimal word.

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