Rapid Transit

[SteelTown]

@JohnPaulDanko

LRT has been cancelled - tender process terminated, property acqusition stopped, 40+ staff terminated. @C_Mulroney
ran out afraid to face the #HamOnt public, Mayor & councillors. How any voter, business owner or investor could trust @fordnation
for anything is beyond me #LIAR

[SteelTown]

Jesus, now they are going to do the announcement at the Ellen Fairclough building.

[SteelTown]

https://twitter.com/CBCQueensPark

[yomsen]

And it's been canceled. I know it's not entirely the city's fault, but am I ever disappointed with Hamilton recently. Our city council has to go.

[Aylmer]

WTF, how did they figure the project would cost $5.5B? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy that 13km of surface LRT could cost anywhere near $430M/km. That's full underground metro territory.

[SteelTown]

[IMG] https://twitter.com/HamiltonsMayor/status/1206675254543818754[/IMG]

[bvbborussia]

Deep down, did anyone really believe it would happen?

[realcity]

Matt Green help us

[SteelTown]

And Minister Mulroney escapes

https://twitter.com/ward1wilson/status/1206682668605300738

[SteelTown]

You can watch her video clip here
https://twitter.com/AndreaHorwath/status/1206685782246920192?s=20

Andrea Horwath
@AndreaHorwath
Mr. Ford and Conservative MPP Donna Skelly repeatedly told Hamiltonians they would build our LRT.

This is a betrayal of Hamilton and our people, and we’re going to fight like hell to hold Ford to his promise. #HamOnt

[J.OT13]

They could have at least waited for the bids to come in and see the true cost of the line, as the Mayor pointed-out. Of course that would have shown that, although the project would no doubt cost more than the initial $1B estimate, it wouldn't have been anywhere near the over-inflated numbers the Ford Government pulled out of their asses today.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

WTF, how did they figure the project would cost $5.5B? I'm sorry, but I just don't buy that 13km of surface LRT could cost anywhere near $430M/km. That's full underground metro territory.

I saw a tweet from Rob Benzie saying they counted operating costs in the 5.5 billion, but even still it seems really high. I've never understood why the province wanted to operate it anyways.

I kind of knew something was up when they didn't do any demolition like was supposed to happen this year.

[ScreamingViking]

Of course it's a lot more when you include the operating and maintenance costs over 30 years.

The $1 billion was always just the capital expenditure estimate, the amount to build the thing and buy the vehicles and equipment and put up supporting infrastructure like the maintenance yard. The Ford government is conflating that with the full total cost to wiggle out of this and lay blame at the Wynne government. They probably also didn't want the federal Liberals to gain any political traction by funding any capital costs that may have exceeded the province's funding commitment. I doubt we'll ever see a detailed estimate that lays out the projected annual capital and O&M figures.

This is an extreme disappointment. Especially if the Hamilton project is the only one that gets chopped.

The fact they're still promising a billion for transportation is a consolation, but now the bickering over how to spend that will ensue, probably for years to come. And don't count on the majority going to transit -- councillors will inevitably come up with lists of road and highway expansions that will win themselves points in their wards (which they desperately need if they ever want to get re-elected, after the literal shitshow in Chedoke Creek).

If we're lucky, BRT and BRT-Lite will end up being planned along the BLAST concept routes. Hopefully that is fast-tracked.

[Innsertnamehere]

As for how to spend it - it appears the province is convening it’s own panel to decide and won’t let council do the picking. I imagine we will see some highway widenings, BRT, and GO improvements.

[TheRitsman]

How many development plans for Hamilton get tabled because of this you peeps think? I think Connolly is toast, as is the development at Steel City Video.

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

As for how to spend it - it appears the province is convening it’s own panel to decide and won’t let council do the picking. I imagine we will see some highway widenings, BRT, and GO improvements.

Icing on the worst cake. Holy crap. What a day.

[SteelTown]

Yeah it'll be filled with Fords cronies, I bet Donna Skelly with be part of the task force. Ugh.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton council should at least push for LRT from McMaster to however far $1 billion can take us, say McMaster to downtown, McMaster to Victoria St , McMaster to Gage Park, McMaster to Ottawa St, etc.

But any sane Premier or Transport Minister would have already done this or could have said province will fund $1 billion and the city will have to find $500 million. But nope we all know Donna Skelly despised LRT as city councillor so instead they are killing LRT as a vendetta. They aren't even willing to let the RFP to be finalized.

[Berklon]

It's sad that I can't say I'm surprised... in fact, I was pretty much expecting this to implode.

5.5B? Can we get some cost figures for LRT projects in other cities to compare?

Donna Skelly says the LRT is too big a burden for Hamilton taxpayers. Yeah, it's not like my property taxes aren't going up every f'n year as it is. And it's going to be going up by a bigger rate to make up for the RHVP clusterfuck - for some reason I have to pay or someone else's mistake and illegal/corrupt actions.

[SteelTown]

Now I'm fuming, they took 30 YEARS of capital cost to make the $5.5 billion figure. They are being completely dishonest.

NEW: Transportation minister confirms the government has taken 30 years of capital costs for the Hamilton LRT and compiled them into one $5.5-billion figure.
https://twitter.com/ColinDMello/status/1206714345058689028