Hamilton: General Service Discussion

[Midtown Urbanist]

Ridership per capita, 2003-2013

Municipality    Riders2003 Riders2013 Change
Waterloo Region 29.3       50.5       +20.2
Brampton        22.0       35.4       +13.4
London          49.8       63.1       +13.3
St-Catharines   23.2       35.3       +12.1
Mississauga     38.3       47.5       +9.2
York Region     12.0       20.1       +8.1
Kingston        25.4       32.5       +7.1
Windsor         26.2       30.5       +4.3
Burlington      9.6        12.7       +3.1
Oakville        13.9       16.0       +2.1
Hamilton        46.9       44.8       -2.1

I hope with this LRT, funded entirely by the province, the City of Hamilton finally start caring about transit again. After wasting all the gax tax money from higher levels of government the past decade, spending hundreds of millions to build freeways through their greenspace, I hope they will have a different attitude towards transit riders and stop starving HSR of funding. But looking at these stats, I think maybe that is too much to hope for.

I am wondering if Hamilton's case is more a consequence of the public transit alternatives not being competitive enough compared to driving than it is Hamilton just being transit averse.

The street grid in Hamilton, both downtown and in the mountain should make for decent transit-friendly service. Could the LRT finally unlock this?

 

[Amare]

I am wondering if Hamilton's case is more a consequence of the public transit alternatives not being competitive enough compared to driving than it is Hamilton just being transit averse.

It's a combination of both factors. For years, Hamilton has not been serious about funding transit (especially during the Bratina era) and there has not been a significant improvement in service for a long time. The HSR is behind on many things that other transit systems in the GTA have had for years (ie: Simple website design interface to check route information, route maps on bus poles, bus schedules on bus poles, next vehicle information, simplified bus stop numbers, etc...). To be honest, in the past 20-25 years the most significant improvement there has been is with the B-Line, the Macnab "Bus Terminal", and introducing articulated buses to the fleet.

Bus bunching is still a serious issue in the lower city (one that can easily be fixed but the HSR seems to be disinterested in fixing), and schedules are messy. There are many routes in the city that need to have their routing adjusted, both in the lower city and on the mountain. The new General Manager of Transit Services has been doing an exceptional job trying to improve and revamp service in the city, but their is only so much he can do with the politicians around town. The old GM was way past his expiration date and things were just status quo for years with him in charge.

Theoretically LRT should be the catalyst that sparks a system wide change in service.

 

[mdrejhon]

It's a combination of both factors. For years, Hamilton has not been serious about funding transit (especially during the Bratina era) and there has not been a significant improvement in service for a long time. The HSR is behind on many things that other transit systems in the GTA have had for years (ie: Simple website design interface to check route information, route maps on bus poles, bus schedules on bus poles, next vehicle information, simplified bus stop numbers, etc...). To be honest, in the past 20-25 years the most significant improvement there has been is with the B-Line, the Macnab "Bus Terminal", and introducing articulated buses to the fleet.

This is correct. And we can't live with the status quo.

There's a Rapid Ready [hamilton.ca] transit plan that the city must stick to.

Theoretically LRT should be the catalyst that sparks a system wide change in service.

Not theoretically, it needs to be a catalyst.

I am wondering if Hamilton's case is more a consequence of the public transit alternatives not being competitive enough compared to driving than it is Hamilton just being transit averse.

This is true too. Driving is very convenient here. Very.

I can say that, as I personally have a car, both while living in Toronto, and now while living here.

Hamilton is one of the most car-friendly Canadian cities I've been to in a while. (I say this independently of whether this is a compliment or not). Unlike many cities like Ottawa, Toronto, and Kitchener-Waterloo, it is so fast and convenient to get around by car, (in part thanks to years of supporting wide roads throughout the whole city, which is getting increasingly expensive to maintain). Not to mention, the Lower City corridor (Main-King) is famous for having one of the country's best synchronized green lights, so you can zoom halfway across the city in less than 10 minutes through an urban expressway.

Car owners here will often complain very ferociously by any minor slowdowns that doesn't even warrant yellow-coding in Google Maps Traffic.

Politics will often cater to the car owners here in Hamilton.

However, increasingly, there's increasingly louder voices for improved transit as well.

 

[mdrejhon]

I was driving towards the Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge and decided to park in a rest area about a kilometer away, and walked to the bridge. My, what a treat I was in for!

THUMP -- THUMP -- THUMP -- the loud sounds of Hamilton GO expansion.

The stairway to the beautiful Cootes Paradise multiuse trail was open, so this allowed me to have ringside seats to the pile driving. The stairway shook everytime a pile was hammered.

(Pile driving for the Hamilton Junction rail bridge expansion)

Image 1: Context panorama

Image 2: Pile driver working on the south bridge footing of Hamilton Junction bridge expansion. You can see the stairway I used to get close-up photos.

Image 3: Enhanced image revealing the piles of footings for new bridge.

Image 4: Ringside seat to the action from the pedestrian stairway to the multiuse path below. The metal stairs were shaking everytime the pile driver hammered!

Image 5: Four different Hamilton bridges (two railroad bridges, plus York Blvd, and 403 bridge), with the pile driver peeking at the upper-left! Observe the "DANGER" sign.

Image 6: Right-of-way expansion towards West Harbour GO -- room for additional trackage (timeline: 2016-2017) to dramatically reduce freight contention between GO trains and freight trains, to make way for reliable timetables on future all-day GO service, as well as probable eventual start of Niagara GO commuter train service.

I've got about 100 images, plus some YouTube video, but I'm keeping them for GO Article #3 on RTH. (My article #1 and article #2 targeted to locals).

EDIT: I learn something new everyday. DonValleyRainbow explains why this pile-driving is occuring in the winter.

 

[gweed123]

Great pics, thanks! I didn't even know these improvements were happening.

 

[mdrejhon]

Glad you "Like" them!

I decided to stop at West Harbour GO and see what the progress is.

Some good observations:
- Plaza is now open
- Kiss-N-Ride access is now complete (stairs to pedestrian bridge appears almost ready)
- South platform almost complete
- Bay access is almost complete
- Construction workers were present

Although the south tracks have not been laid yet, or the spur extension to reconnect to the CN tracks towards the east

My latest "semi-inside" info: Spur gets connected & WH GO becomes through-station capable by mid-to-late 2016. If this info is accurate, this means the latest "virtually definite to happen" bound for the Hamilton West Harbour GO stop in Niagara seasonal GO service (even if not yet commuter service) is probably spring 2017 but hopefully we can get some trains before then. The newspaper articles are saying we'll get an announcement along these lines (Niagara GO train service) and probably would include Hamilton stop information sometime during 2016, even if not actual service yet.

For Hamiltonians not aware of the progress towards Niagara year-round commuter GO train service (not just seasonal/weekend), here's a good Niagara newspaper article: Niagara smashes through barriers to GO rail expansion

 

[gweed123]

Glad you "Like" them!

I decided to stop at West Harbour GO and see what the progress is.

Some good observations:
- Plaza is now open
- Kiss-N-Ride access is now complete (will be usable very soon)
- South platform almost complete
- Bay access is almost complete
- Construction workers were present

Although the south tracks have not been laid yet, or the spur extension to reconnect to the CN tracks towards the east

My latest "semi-inside" info: Spur gets connected & WH GO becomes through-station capable by late 2016. If this info is accurate, this means the latest "virtually definite to happen" bound for the Hamilton West Harbour GO stop in Niagara seasonal GO service (even if not yet commuter service) is probably spring 2017 but hopefully we can get some trains before then. The newspaper articles are saying we'll get an announcement along these lines (Niagara GO train service) and probably would include Hamilton stop info sometime during 2016.

That connection to the CN tracks seems like a no-brainer. I would also suspect that we'd see a service boost once that's complete, regardless of what time of year it is and whether the Niagara train is operating or not, since it would more easily facilitate using the Lewis yard.

 

[DC83]

Yay some sense in Hamilton!

"Chamber is not on board with cable car scheme

Let's get this straight — the 1,100 or so members of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce are not championing the idea of running cable cars up and down the Mountain."

Source:
http://m.thespec.com/opinion-story/6314320-dreschel-chamber-is-not-on-board-with-cable-car-scheme

So that's the HamOnt COC, Mayor Fred, and most City Councillors against adding this to our TMP. Excellent news! Finally some sense in Hamilton; Now onto BLAST!

 

[mdrejhon]

Yep -- As I already knew: media coverage was occuring way too early.
It is a relief!

It is still happening eventually -- 2025-ish (give or take years) to "get the ball rolling".

No new info, move along, let the various gondola advocacies (including mine) work quietly behind the scenes, for the next few years, on due diligence for their respective routes...It is a relief to keep it out of public eye. That way I don't have to do any defending or being forced to accelerate plans.

For now.

LRT first!!!

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

The Don Valley Gondola may well change people's minds on the subject.

 

[DC83]

The Don Valley Gondola may well change people's minds on the subject.

I like the idea of it being privately funded, though the user fee/fare seems pretty high.

I may be for a Cable Car from Gage Park to Mountain Drive Park, if and only if no taxpayer dollars go towards it and it's fare is priced at the same rate as HSR (while being able to use/ get a transfer onto an HSR bus).

With an East End-East Mountain connection, the T-line (along Mohawk) can extend east through Heritage Green to the S-Line, rather than the awkward trek down the Kenilworth Access to Centre Mall.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I like the idea of it being privately funded, though the user fee/fare seems pretty high.

I may be for a Cable Car from Gage Park to Mountain Drive Park, if and only if no taxpayer dollars go towards it and it's fare is priced at the same rate as HSR (while being able to use/ get a transfer onto an HSR bus).

With an East End-East Mountain connection, the T-line (along Mohawk) can extend east through Heritage Green to the S-Line, rather than the awkward trek down the Kenilworth Access to Centre Mall.

It might be a privately funded venture, but I think there is room for a successful public-private partnership. For instance, integration with PRESTO.

 

[mdrejhon]

Keanin Loomis is (currently) more focussed on the James gondola, while I am slowly working behind the scenes on a long-term Gage-Mountain Drive Park cable car advocacy.

I prefer the Gage-Mountain "Park Gondola" route because I think it can be 100% privately funded more cheaply and easily because of lack of competing government-subsidized escarpment crossing between central Mountain and Central Lower. If I were, in theory but also even potentially, to also become an investor (via remortgage or Home Equity LOC) and not just an advocate, I like a smaller microcapsule gondola and on Gage-Mountain. Lower traffic, warranting a smaller setup, might get briefly full during events at Gage or Tims Field, but designed to be profitable at low fares while a small system is under capacity. Just look at lack of competing motorized transportation corridors in that section of escarpment, and the 20 year upswing of both sides of the escarpment. James is attractive but requires a much bigger investment, has more competing modes of transport availabe, should gain LRT without distraction, and has more political distraction, and I am not wanting to touch that corridor as a theoretical private investor, even if I like multiple gondola routes as a user.

As you already realize if reading about these, even a small gondola still moves 2000 people per hour, while the Don Valley Cable Car is designed to move up to 3000-3600 per hour but is targeted at profitability at under 1000 people per day. On slow days, cable speed is reduced to walking speed (more scenic time, less wear and tear, and still reaches top in less than 5 minutes) and one capsule per couple is perfectly fine, as wait tile is still less than 15 seconds. I want to see Gage-Mointain break even at less than 500 riders per day, and there are some gondolas that do. Not Simpsons monorail stuff like many naysayers claim.

Steve Dale of Gondola Project (same guy as Don Valley Cable Car) is the contact that for the last several months, I am currently engaging with on the Gage-Mountain concept -- same person.

Beyond this, I can't reveal any further yet at this time.

If any Hamiltonians want to join our yearslong quiet behind-the-scenes gondola advocacy, send me a PM. Mutual preference is quietness as many of us do not want political distraction from LRT until it is already safely past 2018 and LRT is already under construction.

That said, it is all a moving target that responds/adapts to changing publicity, politics and sentiments.

 

[drum118]

Feb 22: More up on site
All the piles are done for the new Desjardins Channel piers to the point it looks like the concrete based has been pour for the east side.

The west entrance for West Harbour is months away from completion. Like the use of the corten material for artwork. Placing the gavel on the south platform roof while there.

 

[DC83]

Well this is disheartening..

Transit Ridership 2006-2014

Hamilton +1,068,214 (5.0%)
St. Catharines +1,031,919 (21.7%)
Mississauga +7,585,829 (26.1%)
London +5,080,542 (27.2%)
York Region +5,337,239 (31.2%)
Waterloo Region +6,852,097 (49.9%)
Durham Region +3,849,276 (55.4%)
Brampton +10,258,263 (101.2%)

http://hamiltoncatch.org/view_article.php?id=1403