Hamilton's B-Line LRT construction

[Allroadsleadtoham]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Or they're waiting for a political reason.

To not start ?

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Allroadsleadtoham

To not start ?

To focus on other projects and possibly re-announce this one in the leadup to the next election or immediately after a victory. And the "war on gridlock" is in full swing.

Plus not knowing what will happen at the federal level. Would a new conservative government kill its share of the cost based on the desire to cut back on spending? That would let the Ford government off the hook for their half of the bill.

There are still a lot of misinformed voters out there too... the "we don't need it, just add more buses" crowd and the ones who call for BRT instead of LRT but don't consider things like operating expenses and capacity, and that a busway through the city will use just as many street lanes and not be usable for passenger cars.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Allroadsleadtoham

To not start ?

The Provincial Liberals did this as well. Drag procurement out as long as possible while still having projects "funded".

The Finch West LRT was "funded" in 2009. It started construction in 2018.

It makes you look like you are doing something without having to put the cold, hard cash out to actually do it.

Ford is actually sort of doing this with Highways right now too. For all his political wedge politics on the issue, he is actually spending less inflation adjusted than the Liberals did on the provincial freeway network.

[NortheastWind]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Ford is actually sort of doing this with Highways right now too. For all his political wedge politics on the issue, he is actually spending less inflation adjusted than the Liberals did on the provincial freeway network.

That's because Ford has stopped funding the much needed Northern Ontario highway expansion projects, specifically the expansion of Hwy 69 and Hwy 11 from two lanes to four lane separated highways.

[ScreamingViking]

There's graffiti adjacent to the parking lot of the Queenston traffic circle LCBO calling out Horwath for not dealing with the housing crisis, while letting LRT remain in delay limbo.

I wasn't aware the city had anything to do with the LRT delays, aside from past dithering. So whoever spray-painted this was at least partially-lucid. Though they're not aware that cities aren't capable of dealing with the housing issue... they can try, but I doubt their efforts will be more than akin to an index finger blocking a spray of water from a cracking dam.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

There's graffiti adjacent to the parking lot of the Queenston traffic circle LCBO calling out Horwath for not dealing with the housing crisis, while letting LRT remain in delay limbo.

I wasn't aware the city had anything to do with the LRT delays, aside from past dithering. So whoever spray-painted this was at least partially-lucid. Though they're not aware that cities aren't capable of dealing with the housing issue... they can try, but I doubt their efforts will be more than akin to an index finger blocking a spray of water from a cracking dam.

Biggest contributing factor to high housing costs right now is high levels of immigration combined with historically low interest rates. Both federally controlled. Time to kick the liberals to the curb. We need to cut immigration WAY down, and BoC needs to get a new governor.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Biggest contributing factor to high housing costs right now is high levels of immigration combined with historically low interest rates. Both federally controlled. Time to kick the liberals to the curb. We need to cut immigration WAY down, and BoC needs to get a new governor.

Immigration isn't the cause. We had immigration rates similar to this in the 1950s. The issue is housing being seen as an investment by too large a chunk of the population, which leads to nonsensical bidding wars and severe constraints on what can get built so as to not affect housing prices.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Immigration isn't the cause. We had immigration rates similar to this in the 1950s. The issue is housing being seen as an investment by too large a chunk of the population, which leads to nonsensical bidding wars and severe constraints on what can get built so as to not affect housing prices.

Insane to me that people aren't making the connection between high housing costs, and bringing in nearly 2 million immigrants each year that primarily settle in our urban cities. Yes, immigration is the main driving force of high housing prices. Our population increased 10% in just the last 2.5 years!

1.7 million people came to canada as either PR, non-PR, refugee, or international student in 2023. The international student total eye watering at 1 million total. The total count for 2024 is already at 1.8 million and we're only in October!

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Insane to me that people aren't making the connection between high housing costs, and bringing in nearly 2 million immigrants each year that primarily settle in our urban cities. Yes, immigration is the main driving force of high housing prices. Our population increased 10% in just the last 2.5 years!

1.7 million people came to canada as either PR, non-PR, refugee, or international student in 2023. The international student total eye watering at 1 million total. The total count for 2024 is already at 1.8 million and we're only in October!

Our housing market has been broken for years. The new immigrants who came here in the last two years don't have time machines, they didn't cause the broken housing prices of 2019.

It's utterly bizarre to see people show such utter amnesia to how long the market has been utterly broken and so ignoring the actual causes to rally around xenophobia.

Though I will say we need to shift certain immigration policies to try to bring in more blue collar workers, since we've got such a shortage of construction workers.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Our housing market has been broken for years. The new immigrants who came here in the last two years don't have time machines, they didn't cause the broken housing prices of 2019.

It's utterly bizarre to see people show such utter amnesia to how long the market has been utterly broken and so ignoring the actual causes to rally around xenophobia.

Though I will say we need to shift certain immigration policies to try to bring in more blue collar workers, since we've got such a shortage of construction workers.

If you can't see the obvious basic math of bringing in many many immigrants each year, and the strain that is putting on the housing market, then I don't know what to say

btw the whole xenophobia accusation that gets thrown around to slander opponents means next to nothing. I come from an immigrant background.

[Rg2016]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

If you can't see the obvious basic math of bringing in many many immigrants each year, and the strain that is putting on the housing market, then I don't know what to say

btw the whole xenophobia accusation that gets thrown around to slander opponents means next to nothing. I come from an immigrant background.

Back in 2018 prices were already at 450k for a tiny house near upper gage mcdonalds lol, its not the new immigrants.



P.s it had something to do with torontonians that cant afford to buy in toronto so they moved here. I also noticed back in 2017, there are postings in every intersection that says “we buy houses, any condition” I think thats what drove the prices up more

[SteelTown]

Contractors submitting proposals for work along Hamilton LRT track
Metrolinx says the 14-km LRT will move about 50,000 people daily

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/lrt-rfp-1.7540792

The Ontario government is reporting another step forward in Hamilton's long-awaited LRT construction.

The province has invited four teams to submit proposals for work including building and relocating infrastructure and traffic control signals along the planned 14-kilometre route, the Ministry of Transportation said in a news release Wednesday.

This process started in November when the province asked contractors to pre-apply to submit proposals for work.

At the time, the Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said we were "one step closer" to seeing shovels in the ground, which is also what he said in a Wednesday news release. He has not shared when the LRT might open.

Provincial transit agency Metrolinx is progressing on "advanced early works projects," with five completed and four more underway, including water main, hydro and telecommunications upgrades, interim president Michael Lindsay said in the news release. "We're excited to continue working collaboratively with the federal and provincial governments as well as the City of Hamilton to deliver this important transit project."

[SteelTown]

https://bayobserver.ca/four-consortia-prequalified-to-bid-on-hamilton-lrt/

The four Canadian consortia that are prequalified to bid on the Hamilton LRT Project are:

* Hamilton Synergy Alliance (Applicant Lead – AtkinsRéalis Major Projects Inc.)
* Steel City Alliance (Applicant Lead – Dufferin Construction Company, A Division of CRH Canada Group Inc.)
* Kenaidan Murphy Joint Venture (Applicant Lead – Murphy Infrastructure Inc.)
* Aecon Hamilton Transit LRT Partnership (Applicant Lead – Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc.)

Metrolinx has hinted the successful budder could be named by the end of this year but that will be followed by a “development phase” that could last up to 24 months.

[SteelTown]

• Video Link

[SteelTown]

Hamiltonians still in the dark about LRT timelines, despite open house with Metrolinx

https://www.chch.com/chch-news/hamiltoni...inx/?mc_cid=02efd41dcc&mc_eid=30335158ea

Questions remain over Hamilton’s LRT timeline and construction plans, despite a virtual open house last night.

Officials say that enabling work – relocating underground utilities, as well as completing environmental and archaeological surveys – has been underway since 2023.

Major construction, however, has not started. Metrolinx says they currently do not have a clear picture of when shovels will be in the ground, either.

“At this time we actually don’t have a date that we can share with you right now,” Erin Senior of Metrolinx said during the open house.

“As that becomes available, it’s our commitment to share that with you – I know that’s a priority for a lot of folks, just to get a sense of when is this project actually going to be coming. So as soon as we know, we will also let you know.”

Metrolinx says the procurement process for the Hamilton LRT is underway, and Metrolinx has released a request for proposals from four Canadian contractors.

They’re expected to choose a contractor in early 2026, at which point the project will move to the alliance development phase.

This development phase, according to Danielle Bury, Vice President of Hamilton LRT, is when Metrolinx will have an idea of what construction timelines could look like.

“It’s at [the development phase] when we get to start to answer a lot of the detailed questions that you have in terms of schedule and design and when we are going to be in front of your door with shovels and diggers,” she said during the open house.

In the Q&A period, a spokesperson for Metrolinx said that they’re aiming to begin construction within 18 to 24 months following the development phase – meaning construction may not start until 2028 or later.

[ScreamingViking]

Found this via a Spec opinion piece today (an editorial sure to result in more "the city should use the money to rebuild our roads instead" letters to the editor):

https://planlocal.ca/thebigbuild/

Bear in mind that it's a nice advertisement for Civicplan though.

[Pulkvedis Pods]

Who attended the Open House? I did for a while, and was disappointed that I couldn't see the slide show presentation. There was no way to let anyone know about this.
Among the attendees, I noticed CHCH was there.
One thing I found interesting was that endangered bats and butternut trees were mentioned as needing to be protected - the same thing I heard mentioned at the Planning Commsion's April 29 meeting for 397-409 Hamilton Dr. Ancaster.

[SteelTown]

If you missed the meeting you can watch the video here:

https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-an...ent+page&utm_id=980298&sfmc_id=128286126

You can also see the presenation slides. To me the most interesting part is HSR Next, starts on slide page 17. Slide 19 you can see the future HSR routes.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

If you missed the meeting you can watch the video here:

https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-an...ent+page&utm_id=980298&sfmc_id=128286126

You can also see the presenation slides. To me the most interesting part is HSR Next, starts on slide page 17. Slide 19 you can see the future HSR routes.

Hmm. Looks like they are actually planning on substantially *downgrading* service in Stoney Creek. Not sure how that would work?

[mishap]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Hmm. Looks like they are actually planning on substantially *downgrading* service in Stoney Creek. Not sure how that would work?

Where's the downgrade? I see more routes and higher frequency. Maybe near Elfrida, where it's moving to on-demand, but that's certainly a step up in the lower city.
Or do you mean a step down from previous proposals as opposed to current service? That is what I'm sort of seeing.