LRT and you
By: Rob Hardy
Even though full funding for a light-rail transit line was finally announced for Hamilton last year, local politics has ensured that the final word on the subject has yet to be spoken. Despite the fact that 18 months have passed since Kathleen Wynne’s promise to cut Hamilton in on regional transit funding, LRT opponents have remained vocal and hopeful that a referendum on the subject is forthcoming. It is perplexing that the desire to keep Hamilton stagnant and inferior to most other cities in the GTA, in terms of public transit, is so prevalent.
What remains crucial to recognize in this debate is that the LRT matters most for those who will most feel the benefits. Yes, the project as a whole will have numerous effects on most of the population, but it seems somewhat condescending for those who drive cars to say that the status quo is good enough.
Those who don’t take public transit may not fully understand what a geographically-challenged city Hamilton is for bus riders. As a McMaster student, commuting to school is more than half of my daily stress. Many students arriving from the mountain or the eastern suburbs face one or more connections each morning, with additional walking required if they get off at Emerson. Implementing LRT will make this experience faster, smoother and less draining.
Considering Hamilton’s proximity to Burlington and the rest of the GTA and the fact that the city’s population has been well over 500,000 for over two decades, it is far past time to beef up our transit systems. The HSR has been running on fumes for years, and Hamilton simply doesn’t have the financial incentive to improve it over pursuing other options.
One has to wonder, if not now, then when? Hamilton has to go beyond buses at some point. Rejecting LRT would take the city right back to the drawing board. Yes, Hamilton would eventually get funding for other transit options, but not from the money currently reserved for rapid transit.
Some feel that bus rapid transit is a better deal for Hamilton. If that’s the case, then why doesn’t Toronto use this? That system means taking away a whole lane from vehicular traffic. Some people forget that this is what comprises the actual difference between regular bus routes and those of the rapid variety. Since there was a huge uproar over the bus lane experiment downtown a couple of years ago, it’s clear that drivers and businesses would be even more enraged as they enviously see a mostly empty bus lane from Eastgate to McMaster that they are prohibited from using.
Some are of the opinion that Hamilton is booming, despite our downtown having only a fraction of the energy and business density of Toronto. It’s also worth noting that some of that positive vibe has been spurred on by projects that have taken root here based on the promise of eventual LRT operation. After already spending tens of millions of dollars on this endeavour, does it really make sense to now throw away all that money, leaving local transit not one bit better for it?
