Rapid Transit

[KDP]

I was standing in front of Jackson Square yesterday waiting for the bus at 10 to 4pm, and the street was EMPTY. It was just like it was before the bus lanes went in.

[beanmedic]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

Shop owners say transit-only lane hurting their downtown businesses
(Hamilton Spectator, Steve Arnold, Nov 3 2013)

Two weeks after the opening of a new bus-only lane through Hamilton's core, downtown merchants say their worst fears have been realized.

Business operators have expressed a fear throughout the transit experiment that making it tougher for cars to navigate the core will keep people out of their stores — and that's what they fear is starting to happen.

Barry Sobel, whose Rainbow Bridal has been a King Street fixture for 36 years, said he is already hearing from longtime customers that traffic congestion resulting from the bus lane is keeping them out of the core, especially on weekdays.

"Saturday isn't so bad, traffic is moving well, but at 11 a.m. on a weekday cars will be backed up all the way to Wellington," Sobel said in an interview Saturday. "During weekdays, traffic is backed up as far as I can see."

Late in October the city launched a one-year pilot project to test the effect on traffic congestion in the core from converting one lane of King to transit-only. The far right lane of King between Mary and Dundurn streets is now buses-only except for cars trying to turn right.

The experiment is being viewed as a test of the impact of a proposed light rapid transit rail line through the area. Provincial transit agency Metrolinx has put $300,000 into the project.

Backers of the plan say it has the potential to increase business for core-area merchants by slowing traffic, giving drivers a chance to look around and maybe discover a downtown shop they didn't know existed.

"It gives people a chance to see that dress in the window or that guitar in the pawnshop," said downtown Councillor Jason Farr. "This plan was well thought out but it's also a pilot project and we know that means it will have to be tweaked a little."

It's not. But maybe all the erroneous reporting of traffic chaos by CHCH and The Spectator ARE convincing people to avoid downtown...

[thistleclub]

The Transit Investment Strategic Advisory Panel has released its report on rapid transit funding recommendations.

Read it in full, short and shorter versions.

[thistleclub]

Golden panel's transit revenue plan appears simple, doable, fair
(Toronto Star, Royson James, Dec 13 2013)

Phew! We’re getting off easy, Toronto.

Facing a controversial list of “funding tools” to cover a $50-billion transit bill, residents could avoid most of them, including road tolls, parking fees and property tax hikes, under recommendations from a provincial transit panel released Thursday.

The panel, established by Premier Kathleen Wynne to advise the government, is recommending Ontario adopt three tools to pay for Metrolinx’s Big Move transit plan:

• An initial 3-cent hike in gas tax, with a penny added each year to a maximum 10 cents a litre;
• A half a per cent increase in Ontario’s general corporate income tax rate;
• Provincial contribution of approximately $80 million a year from the harmonized sales tax (HST). In essence, the higher gas and corporate income taxes would generate an extra $80 million in HST, and the panel recommends the province divert that windfall to the transit fund.

(Another option would see the gas tax hike capped at 5 cents but bolstered by a 0.5 per cent hike in sales tax.)

In general, the measures would cost the average resident an extra $80 to $155 to start, rising to between $260 and $300.

The measures would be implemented province-wide, but money generated in Timmins would stay in Timmins, not be used in the GTA and Hamilton (GTAH).

The panel further recommends that the province enact legislation to set aside the new revenues — just under $2 billion in the GTAH — in a special fund dedicated to transit.

All told, this is as good as it gets. The tools are simple, doable, spread the pain around and set us on a path of sustainable funding.

The plan also avoids the more politically toxic options that might be unpalatable to a government, especially the minority provincial Liberals.

Still, the ideas will become a political football in any upcoming provincial election. As such, the proposals may be doomed to the dustbin.

[drpgq]

"The measures would be implemented province-wide, but money generated in Timmins would stay in Timmins, not be used in the GTA and Hamilton (GTAH)."

This sentence makes me pause. Does money generated in Hamilton stay in Hamilton? By past experience with Metrolinx I would guess the answer is not really.

I found a Globe and Mail article with the stat that 38,208,346,000 liters of gasoline were sold in Canada last year. For Hamilton that would be roughly 545,000,000 liters based on population. So that's around $54.5 million per year plus the 13% HST charged on that for a ten cent additional tax. That much funding per year could easily fund the downtown LRT line over 20 years.

However given the past history of Metrolinx, I'm doubting Hamilton will get its fair share based on population. I'm really starting to think that Hamilton being part of Metrolinx hasn't worked out in our favour at all. I'm also disappointed that local media hasn't squawked more about Hamilton getting shortchanged by Metrolinx on a population basis.

[Innsertnamehere]

how much is the LRT going to cost? Because it will require 18 years to fully implement the big move, and 18 years at 55 million annually is around 950 million. Once you include all day GO that will be in the plan for the new GO station, you are probably getting your monies worth.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

how much is the LRT going to cost? Because it will require 18 years to fully implement the big move, and 18 years at 55 million annually is around 950 million. Once you include all day GO that will be in the plan for the new GO station, you are probably getting your monies worth.

I would say that 950 million is a decent guess for LRT. However the problem I see is that Metrolinx has been around for a while and has spent almost nothing on Hamilton to date while considerable sums have been spent in Toronto.

There are no real plans for all day GO. There's two additional trains each way planned for the new station. No idea when there will be more, which is kind of depressing in itself considering how hard can it be to run a few extra trains from Aldershot?

I just can't see Hamilton getting value for this new gas tax. If there was something that said it had to be proportionately for Hamilton rather than Metrolinx I would have less concern.

[Beedok]

Well maybe long term Hamilton will benefit more, Toronto's just more desperate right now.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Well maybe long term Hamilton will benefit more, Toronto's just more desperate right now.

Toronto will always be more desperate.

Even if everyone comes to some agreement about how to fund the Big Move, it will be interesting to see how future politicking plays with the plans.

[thistleclub]

Transit Investment Strategic Advisory Panel Recommendation #18

That all projects approved by Metrolinx and elected officials must have up-to-date, publicly available business case analyses that validate the investment, taking into account life-cycle capital, operating, maintenance and financing costs.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Toronto will always be more desperate.

Even if everyone comes to some agreement about how to fund the Big Move, it will be interesting to see how future politicking plays with the plans.

That's the thing I'm afraid of. Toronto will always have some project that has to be done.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by drpgq

That's the thing I'm afraid of. Toronto will always have some project that has to be done.

Toronto's growth won't always be higher than Hamilton's. My guess is that most years Hamilton will be losing out on this deal, but when Hamilton does build something it will probably happen more often and be bigger than Hamilton could afford on it's own. It's like healthcare, most of the time you're paying for someone else's treatment, but when you do get sick you're dang happy you aren't left with a sudden massive bill.

[Innsertnamehere]

Hamilton won't lose out on the deal. If anything, toronto Is the one loosing out big time. $8.5 billion of the plan is going to be spent in toronto but probably 11-12 billion will be collected in the city.

Hamilton is going to get roughly 1 billion of the funds, which very closely reflects what it will be paying. (For the LRT and actual all day GO in Hamilton, 15 minute electrified service as a full extension of the lakeshore west line)

Remember that Hamilton also falls under Metrolinx's wing and therefor is seen as the same "place" as toronto anyway. It's included in the big move, and like it or not it is treated as part of the GTA. I wouldn't call it a toronto suburb per-say, but it's commuting patterns certainly indicate it isn't its own isolated city like Timmins. The discussion is that municipalities outside of the big move can get the funds as well to help their projects, which would allow places like Ottawa expand their LRT system or allow London to build an LRT.

[Beedok]

Hamilton isn't being treated as GTA, it's being treated as GTHA. We get our own letter in the acronym.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Hamilton won't lose out on the deal. If anything, toronto Is the one loosing out big time. $8.5 billion of the plan is going to be spent in toronto but probably 11-12 billion will be collected in the city.

Hamilton is going to get roughly 1 billion of the funds, which very closely reflects what it will be paying. (For the LRT and actual all day GO in Hamilton, 15 minute electrified service as a full extension of the lakeshore west line)

Remember that Hamilton also falls under Metrolinx's wing and therefor is seen as the same "place" as toronto anyway. It's included in the big move, and like it or not it is treated as part of the GTA. I wouldn't call it a toronto suburb per-say, but it's commuting patterns certainly indicate it isn't its own isolated city like Timmins. The discussion is that municipalities outside of the big move can get the funds as well to help their projects, which would allow places like Ottawa expand their LRT system or allow London to build an LRT.

I do remember that Hamilton falls under Metrolinx's wing, but my point is that I don't think it has worked out very well for Hamilton. Considerable sums have already spent by Metrolinx in Toronto for projects without a gas tax. Hamilton's Metrolinx' projects so far are the A line bus along Upper James during rush hour, the bike share and the announced two trains back and forth from the new station by LIUNA which is obviously no where near all day GO. There's no concrete plans for LRT as of yet. I probably missed some other small projects.

Frankly I wish Bill Kelly would have a segment about Hamilton being ripped off by Metrolinx on a per capita basis.

[Beedok]

It's just starting out. Toronto has an extreme transit deficit. Hamilton needs a bit of help, but it's more of a restructuring than desparation.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

It's just starting out. Toronto has an extreme transit deficit. Hamilton needs a bit of help, but it's more of a restructuring than desparation.

That's not a bad way to characterize it. Meeting existing demand with an eye to setting things up better for future growth.

Imagine where transit demand in Hamilton might be today if the massive cuts to the HSR had not been made in the 1980s. Or with an adequate level of annual investment in the service.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

That's not a bad way to characterize it. Meeting existing demand with an eye to setting things up better for future growth.

That's why I'm somewhat puzzled by the shortsighted view of some naysayers that say we're fine right now, no congestion, 20 minute city, blah, blahs, blah.

This is long term planning. It's like they can't see even 5 years into the future, never mind decades.

It's an investment that will realized later. for longer term benefit

[thistleclub]

Omen or outlier?

No guarantees on more LRT money for Ottawa: Finance minister
(Ottawa Sun, Jon Willing, Jan 13 2013)

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa was making no commitments Monday that the province will offer nearly $1 billion to help pay for rapid transit extensions across Ottawa.

Sousa, who gave a speech to Ottawa’s business community at City Hall, wouldn’t address whether the province will give provide the $975 million the city wants to stretch rail to Bayshore Shopping Centre, Algonquin College, Place d’Orléans and Riverside South.

“We’re going to have a lot of initiatives going forward,” Sousa said in response to questions from reporters after his speech.

“I would tell you Ottawa is a principle city in the province and it’s critical for its competitiveness and Ontario has always been a supporter of initiatives here in Ottawa.”

Sousa said the city has been squirrelling money in the Ontario Trillium Trust, which earmarks revenues from asset sales for infrastructure projects, and emphasizing greater investment from the business sector through public-private partnerships.

Plus, the province hopes its new “green bonds” will raise more money for transit.

[Beedok]

Those are the next phase of growth for Ottawa though, I don't think they're even planning to start until like 2018, likely after an election. Making promises that far in the future is a bit difficult.