Hamilton Hamilton Line B LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Great analysis here by Ryan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1404922302177976321

1/ Some perspective on staff's range of operating costs for #HamOnt #yesLRT

2/ The high-end estimate of $16.5M per year is based on replacing the #10 B-Line but leaving the other three bus routes, and assumes zero ridership growth. This is simply not a realistic assumption.

3/ The low-end estimate of $6.4M is based on replacing the #10 and reducing the #1 and #5 by one-third, and assumes 8% ridership growth. That is more realistic than the high-end estimate but is still a very conservative assumption.

4/ Remember that ridership is projected to *double* over a decade. This is consistent with ridership growth in other similar LRT systems. So even the $6.4M low-end is actually very high.

5/ And this does not take into account new property tax revenue to the city from transit-oriented developments, which is eventually likely to amount to tens of millions of dollars a year.

6/ Nor does it take into account money saved by having higher levels of government pay for $250M in infrastructure renewal along the LRT corridor - including replacement of the Longwood Road overpass, which the city would otherwise have to pay for.

7/ Council keeps saying they want to expand transit service across the city. Here's a golden opportunity to redeploy 29 buses to underserved routes in every ward. (This would also require Council to show some leadership in phasing out area rating for transit.)

8/ But let's be clear: anyone who says they oppose LRT because of operating costs and then claims to support BRT instead is being wildly disingenuous, since BRT's operating costs would be *double* LRT's for the same level of service.

9/ Enough of the fearmongering. Enough of the anti-leadership. It's time Council does the right thing, acknowledges this offer exceeds even their own request when they submitted the LRT plan for funding consideration, and takes YES for an answer
Click to expand...
 
sixrings said:
If someone offered to build me a house. It would be built in my city but I didn’t have any say in how it was built. Guess what I would take the free house and worry about how much it costs to heat and air condition later.
Click to expand...
p_xavier said:
I say it everytime, cities shouldn't have their say in transit building. They can't see the forest from the trees.
Click to expand...
I think it depends on context. Toronto, for example, already went through their "my drawn on a napkin plan is better" phase. Their council is much more evidence-based than it used to be, so I would respect their decisions. Whereas Hamilton is still going through that phase, so the senior government should pressure them to adopt their plan, especially since it's a pretty good plan for moving people + attracting development + reducing sprawl.
 
I'm counting 7 votes right now in the council meeting in support - so only 1 of the 4 remaining uncertain councillors need to support for it to go forward.

Judie Partridge, the Waterdown councillor, is ridiculous. She's ranting on about how "concerning" it might be if a handful of HSR bus operators have to be laid off because of the project. Talk about grasping at straws. Nobody should ever make $3.4 billion decisions because a bus driver or two might get laid off for a year until ridership growth allows for them to be hired back.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Final vote is 9-6. That is the same result as the last vote on the LRT in (I believe) 2018, though a few councillors have switched sides. Hamilton LRT is going to happen.
Click to expand...

It was never in doubt honestly, yet extremely embarrassing nonetheless that it even came to this...

Start digging!

So is this the final, FINAL vote on this? No more chances to "appeal" today's decision?
 
Towered said:
It was never in doubt honestly, yet extremely embarrassing nonetheless that it even came to this...

Start digging!

So is this the final, FINAL vote on this? No more chances to "appeal" today's decision?
Click to expand...
unfortunately it isn't the final vote.

Once the MOU is prepared council has to approve it - that is the final vote.


Councillors know where they stand on this though, I expect that vote to go more or less the same as this one.

Today was the key "test" to see where councillors stand on the LRT as they haven't voted on it since it was revived. It more or less shows what councillors think of the project, and those thoughts are unlikely to change in a month or two.
 
Let's get those 6 city councillors who voted against on Bezos' spaceship as well, along with Bratina of course.

Great to see the results of the vote today, I still think the numbers can change on the MOU vote but with the margins we've seen today i'm not expecting a
"NO" vote. Just please get shovels in the ground before the next provincial election, or we'll surely see this fiasco playout for the 3rd time (in the last 4 years). Be rest assured if it plays out again, the result wont be an LRT for Hamilton.
 
Amare said:
Let's get those 6 city councillors who voted against on Bezos' spaceship as well, along with Bratina of course.

Great to see the results of the vote today, I still think the numbers can change on the MOU vote but with the margins we've seen today i'm not expecting a
"NO" vote. Just please get shovels in the ground before the next provincial election, or we'll surely see this fiasco playout for the 3rd time (in the last 4 years). Be rest assured if it plays out again, the result wont be an LRT for Hamilton.
Click to expand...

If somehow the Liberals manage to win next year's election, I don't see them canceling the Hamilton LRT (or any other major transit project) - what would they have to gain from such a move?
 
Towered said:
If somehow the Liberals manage to win next year's election, I don't see them canceling the Hamilton LRT (or any other major transit project) - what would they have to gain from such a move?
Click to expand...
They wouldnt gain anything, it would just be for Stephen Del Duca to boost his own supposed "ego" and have another photo-op for the hell of it since he loves trying to get attention. They wouldnt cancel it, but they would be more than willing to allow Hamilton to make adjustments because in their mind "the city knows their own needs the best".

That's when the city would begin their dithering yet again and i'm sure the end result would be Hamilton pulling out from supporting the project. But let's not think about all that, lets just get shovels on the damn ground already so all that cant happen.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top