A group of medical doctors in Hamilton has signed a letter calling on Hamilton City Council to continue to support the city's LRT plan.
By RTH Staff
Published October 25, 2016
57 medical doctors in Hamilton have signed an open letter calling on Hamilton City Council to continue to support the city's Light Rail Transit (LRT) plan, citing the public health and safety benefits of reduced risk of vehicle collisions, cleaner air and increased active transportation.
The letter also expresses the hope that this line will be the first part of "a comprehensive rapid transit network that serves our entire city."
Following is the text of the letter:
24 October 2016
Dear Mayor Eisenberger and Hamilton City Council:
As physicians practicing family medicine and other specialties in the City of Hamilton, we write to express our support for the city's plan to build a Light Rail Transit system along the B-line corridor with a branch line to the West Harbour GO station.
We hope that the current plan, funded by Metrolinx, will be the first step towards a comprehensive rapid transit network that serves our entire city.
We believe that the LRT will have significant effects on the safety and health of citizens. An LRT system, along with the complete streets that feed into the LRT corridor, allows street users to choose travel methods other than driving a car. By reducing car use overall, the risk of traffic fatalities is reduced.
Complete streets also serve to reduce speed, which is well known to be associated with a drop in the risk of death if a pedestrian or cyclist is hit by a motor vehicle.
The reduction in automobile use will also prevent cardiovascular and respiratory illness and death that results from exposure to the exhaust from internal combustion engines.
Furthermore, having an LRT will give people the option to include active transport as part of their commute (by walking or cycling to and from LRT stations). As physicians, we often advise patients to include physical activity in their daily lives, though many find it too difficult due to time constraints.
Physical activity has been shown to prevent and treat many chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and dementia. How wonderful would it be to have LRT as an option for patients to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines as they travel by foot or bike to LRT stations?
We firmly believe that the LRT will provide significant safety and health benefits to the citizens of Hamilton and it is something Council should support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jason Aguanno
Family PhysicianDr. Diana Ahmed
Family PhysicianDr. Ken Burgess
Family PhysicianDr. Scott Brimble
NephrologistDr. Michael Carvalho
Pathology ResidentDr. David Chan
Family PhysicianDr. Catherine Clase
NephrologistDr. Mark Crowther
HematologistDr. Meghan Davis
Family PhysicianDr. Zoë Del Bel Belluz
Family PhysicianDr. Erick Duan
IntensivistDr. David Farnell
Pathology ResidentDr. Peggy Goodacre
Family PhysicianDr. Dale Guenter
Family PhysicianDr. Serena Gundy
General InternistDr. Gordon Guyatt
General InternistDr. Geoff Holdway
Family PhysicianDr. Adrian Hornich
Family PhysicianDr. Alistair Ingram
NephrologistDr. Nick Kates
PsychiatristDr. Fiona Kouyoumdjian
Public Health PhysicianDr. Christian Kraeker
General InternistDr. Guy LeBlanc
Family PhysicianDr. Kimberly Legault
RheumatologistDr. Carolyne Lemieux
Pathology ResidentDr. Joan Li
Family PhysicianDr. Rachel Loewith
Family PhysicianDr. Peter Margetts
NephrologistDr. David McCullagh
Internal Medicine ResidentDr. John Neary
General InternistDr. Simon Oczkowski
IntensivistDr. Ravinder Ohson
Family PhysicianDr. Tim O'Shea
Infectious DiseasesDr. Emily Ow
Family PhysicianDr. Tamar Packer
Family PhysicianDr. Casey Park
Internal Medicine ResidentDr. Bernard Pawlowicz
Pathology ResidentDr. Sébastien Prat
PsychiatristDr. David Price
Family PhysicianDr. Christian Rabbat
NephrologistDr. Alia Rana
Family PhysicianDr. Ranjith Ratnasingam
Family PhysicianDr. Lori Regenstreif
Family PhysicianDr. Bram Rochwerg
IntensivistDr. Gemma Rodgers
Family PhysicianDr. Erica Roebbelen
Family PhysicianDr. Haider Saeed
Family PhysicianDr. Myles Sergeant
Family PhysicianDr. Shelly Sender
Family PhysicianDr. Deborah Siegal
HematologistDr. Madeleine Verhovsek
HematologistDr. Allyn Walsh
Family PhysicianDr. Brianna Wilson
Family PhysicianDr. Roselyn Wilson
Psychiatry ResidentDr. Jill Wiwcharuk
Family PhysicianDr. Steven Wong
Internal Medicine ResidentDr. Christine Zrinscak
Family Physician
By JasonL (registered) | Posted October 25, 2016 at 07:37:25
More unemployed hobo's who think we care about their opinion
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