LRT Dithering
LRT has been a topic in Hamilton for over a decade. Council has voted to support LRT dozens of times over the years, although some have done so half-heartedly, saying their support for LRT was based on their view that the City of Hamilton should not have to put up any money for its creation. Changes in provincial government have not helped the issue.
Hamilton’s LRT history: A Hamilton Community News timeline
NEWS Feb 11, 2019
It’s been one of the biggest, and most contentious issues that the city of Hamilton has faced over the last several years: whether or not to build an LRT system, starting with a line along Main Street from McMaster University to Eastgate Square. Over that time Hamilton Community News has written many stories on the subject. Here are a few key moments from our archives that help explain how we got to where we are today.
Hamilton City Manager Say “Higher Order Transit” Important to Hamilton’s Growth
Joey Coleman, Editor, The Public Record
May 19, 2020
Hamilton City Manager Janette Smith says Hamilton will continue to need the construction of “higher order transit” in the near future as the city grows; even if there is a decrease in public transit ridership in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19.
Smith’s comments came in response to a series of questions from Hamilton Chamber of Commerce CEO Kevin Loomis during a video conference interview on May 11.
Hamilton mayor says cancellation of LRT by province is a ‘betrayal’
Multi-Platform Writer, CTV News Toronto
The Mayor of Hamilton said he was “devastated” by news that the Progressive Conservative government will be cancelling a 17-stop light rail transit line that was planned for the city. In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said the province will no longer fund the project because the costs are higher than anticipated. “It is frustrating news, but the stark fiscal reality is that the project will actually cost five times more than the previous government led us all to believe,” she said in the statement.