This is long-term 20-year Hamilton vision.
We observe:
- Hamilton LRT funded. Stoney Creek GO funded.
- Metrolinx teasing Hamilton with
electric train graphics at West Harbour/Stoney Creek
-
GO RER electricifation expansion: who knows, electrification brought to Hamilton in 15-20 years?
- City of Hamilton purchased land at Gage & railroad for park. Protects future Gage GO station?
- Some incumbents/campaigners wildly love trains.
....see Mulcair; dual-citizen of France, TGV/RER country -- hello possible Canadian rail renaissance?
Now that definitely points to a possible Gage GO station being within our lifetimes.
I have no idea if sufficient land is available there or if it could be expropriated for a [Gage GO] station, but I'm not sure who would use it. I'm still not sure who even the Centennial GO station is supposed to serve beyond a handful of extreme distance commuters.
I would use Gage GO Station.
I live almost exactly between West Harbour and Stoney Creek GO. Both stations are within 15-20 minute bike ride of me. Gage would be walking distance! (or a super quick bike ride, and bike infrastructure will explode once LRT arrives and better bike routes become avaialble)
In 20 years from now, we may have a whole transit loop, when LRT loops northwards and connects to Stoney Creek GO. Given Hamilton downtown has enough space to triple in size (without expropriation of detached houses) just by all the sheer vacant lots and low-rises.
This is the official Metrolinx graphic:
TL;DR Version:
Now consider Eastgate loops up to Stoney Creek GO.
Hamilton's first rapid-transit rail loop!
Boom. Gage GO station becomes more valulable.
Now imagine U.S. Steel lands redevelops into a busy office park district.
Boom. Gage GO station preliminary planning occurs.
Now imagine GO RER electrification goes to Stoney Creek in 20 years.
Boom. Gage GO station now funded.
Pop.
New condos on highly-desirable Barton Street in 20-30 years.
Parking lot retail places bought out in favour of denser new developments.
Last shuttered storefront closed over a decade ago.
Long version:
If all-day 30-minute or 15-minute service, 2-ways, is someday brought to Stoney Creek in 20 years, we actually have Hamiltonians commuting within Hamilton (Back and fourth between Hamilton and Stoney Creek). And Oakvillers/Burlington commuting towards us, like to a new office park when U.S. Steel leaves us.
In 20 years, the U.S. Steel lands may become major employment lands. This is a Toronto-downtown-sized parcel of land that U.S. steel may be leaving behind! Once developd, this would drive up demand for a Gage GO station for commuters coming from both east/west, as we would now have intra-Hamiltion GO commuters for the first time. This will already happen with Stoney Creek GO, as a quick shortcut for Stoney Creek residents to Hamiltion downtown, especially during major events like Supercrawl -- it's just a 5-10 minute zoom straight to Hamilton downtown!
I am a lower city resident, and suddenly Gage GO station becomes my nearest GO station, only a 5 minute bike ride of just 2 kilometers. I'd now bike to that GO station instead. Though I may be retired by then (20-25 years from now).
The distance between West Harbour and Stoney Creek is twice the average commute distance between two typical Lakeshore West station, so one infill station is definitely can be on the table. Gage would be one of the many possible candidates.
Do not underestimate the potential of intra-Hamiltion commuting in 20 years from now. It won't be a significant % at first, but it may be in 20 years. Keep it on the table, we've got massive office/employment/business redevelopment opportunity in discontinued steel lands.
It's not worthwhile now. But it should be looked at later, and "protected for" in a city master plan -- like the soccer/park space with enough parcel to slice off for a small GO station someday. It could happen sooner if the 600-car garage at West Harbor overflows (maxed-out 300 + 300 expansion), and there's lots of nearby land to build a much larger parking garage. Hamilton will still be auto-happy for many years to come, even as it also benefits residences to the south (like me), and there's reasonable access (Burlington near-freeway) to this garage.
Besides, we've got electric trains being advertised in Metrolinx graphics. A distant possible signal that Ontario may be thinking of extending electrification to us during RER Phase II
Look at that. Catenary!!!! Although this is fancy clipart, this is an intentional tease of what can come to Hamilton. Electric 15-minute 2-way service between
West Harbour GO, Gage GO, and Stoney Creek GO -- only brave Hamiltonian would
dare imagine that could happen. It could.
Electric catenary, and an EMU trainset pictured in two Hamilton stations -- imagine! With the EMU acceleration, an infill station wouldn't be disruptive. Although this is currently clipart, this is a dream that someone at Metrolinx might make reality within our lifetime (with a train-happy Ontario/Federal government -- look at the fed polls), especially if they find a way to electrify around the Lake Ontario bend, and then purchase the rarely-freight-used Grimsby sub.
If Gage GO Station existed, it would become another east-west route companion to the Hamilton LRT, as you can see in the map, for accessing other parts of the city, or heading outside of Hamilton. It would be a big catalyst of revitalization for Barton, having the LRT to the south and the GO station to the north. Small fancy condo low-rise towers on Barton Street (perish that thought) in 50 years from now. Yes, that currently-ugly street.
Hey -- you know, some condo-filled streets in Toronto used to look like boarded-up-storefronts 30 years ago. Just like
Barton Street here in Hamilton! It's happened before. It is possible that some older long-time Hamiltonians probably will yell blasphemy, but those will be long gone by the time the appetite for towers along Barton comes -- we're talking Year 2035 and the taxpayer base of 2035 putting more funds in Hamilton's coffers than today. Mixed development that supports everybody can occur, keeping a lot happy. It did happen in some cities, it has happened before to Toronto, and it could happen to Barton, unbelievably. City needs more taxpayers, and denisification helps a lot.
What better catalyst to have two parallel 'surface subways' in Lower City, to make that happen?
We can dream -- who knows, in 20 years?
Therefore -- yes,
protect for Gage GO Station -- for a 20-year plan!
City of Hamilton did the right thing purchasing land near the railroad at Gage Avenue -- I wonder if they did that intentionally. If so, that is a rare moment of a Hamilton visionary move on the scale of R.C. Harris insistence of including a rail deck on Price Edward Viaduct. Unused for 50 years. Until Bloor-Danforth subway got built, and used that railroad deck on that bridge over Don Valley. R.C. Harris' folly was then acclaimed as a cost-saving visionary move. That is a compliment, knowing that our city council has had many issues with lack of vision. If Hamilton Port Authority takes over a windfall of Steel lands, hope they factor this carefully into their development options.
(update -- my ward's elected city councillor, retweeted me on this post!)
