Hamilton LRT Still Lacks Council Support

Hamilton LRT Still Lacks Council Support

I came across this opinion piece in the Spec yesterday. I completely agree with the article, and here is why:

It has been 6 years since a feasibility study was completed by the City of Hamilton for the construction of a Light Rail Transit line through the city. Since then, several other studies have been completed further reinforcing the benefits of LRT to our city. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is another option for the city, and would be executed more cheaply and quickly, however its estimated economic benefits for the city are not as high. BRT would, however still be a significant improvement from the current state, and could still allow for a future LRT line to be installed. Any form of rapid transit would spur economic growth and improve traffic conditions, air quality and health as more people have access to better transit options in Hamilton. Despite all the benefits, and the fact that most or all of the funding would be provided by the government, Hamilton city councillors still lack a clear direction on this issue.

There is no “right” answer on what to do about this issue, but what Hamilton needs more than anything is a clear, unanimous stand on the issue. As David Premi says in this article, “it makes it easy for the province to give the money to someone else when we keep arguing and wasting time.”

Hamilton is a great city with great potential, but for it to continue growing, it needs to become a leader in transit, and its current behaviour on this issue is quite the contrary.