Rapid Transit

[TheHonestMaple]

Well I guess with the Liberal victory we can really expect this LRT to happen.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Well I guess with the Liberal victory we can really expect this LRT to happen.

At this point it's essentially as close to a shoe-in as it can be. The feds aren't going to back out now, the Ontario government likely won't back out, and by the time the election happens this will likely be started (though I've heard rumours of an spring election being called early). The municipal government can't back out, and even if we get new councillors the new ones are likely to be more progressive than the current ones. We're getting a new councillor where Chad sat, Merulla said he's retiring. Hopefully we'll see one of the other dinosaurs in Ferguson or Jackson retire too. Whitehead may not stick around, and Paul's seems like she's uninterested in continuing to be a councillor.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

At this point it's essentially as close to a shoe-in as it can be. The feds aren't going to back out now, the Ontario government likely won't back out, and by the time the election happens this will likely be started (though I've heard rumours of an spring election being called early). The municipal government can't back out, and even if we get new councillors the new ones are likely to be more progressive than the current ones. We're getting a new councillor where Chad sat, Merulla said he's retiring. Hopefully we'll see one of the other dinosaurs in Ferguson or Jackson retire too. Whitehead may not stick around, and Paul's seems like she's uninterested in continuing to be a councillor.

Even with an earlier provincial election I can't see anything changing. The PCs won't change their mind unless there's a wholesale turnover in their party, which would not likely happen before an election. A new Liberal government probably would not cancel it either, given that they were planning this during their last terms in power and had pledged and re-pledged the funding (and Del Duca was transport minister of the Wynne government that re-affirmed their support). Horwath has always been a supporter too, presuming she's still NDP leader.

If anything the details could be tweaked, but I doubt it would be anything drastic.

[craftbeerdad]

With Federal minority government's lasting two years on average and last 5/7 being minority, we can assume there's lots of progress to be made in the next two years before anyone will kybosh this project. If any other party wins the provincial election (PC would be status quo on LRT), more than likely that's an increased tailwind for the city (NDP has a strong base here and Liberals are trying to increase penetration and carrots in the city/region to help at the Federal level). Federal Liberals keep focusing on our area too, so sounds generally positive.

Bratina is the only kryptonite left at this point.

[TheHonestMaple]

I wonder when we'll get a better timeline of this project. Can we expect some work to begin this fall?

[Innsertnamehere]

That would be optimistic I would say.

I imagine Metrolinx will get going on Utility relocations and more demolitions soon, with this work picking up in the spring.

It'll probably be 2023 by the time real construction starts though.

[SantaClo]

This morning, Minister @C_Mulroney, @Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, @HamiltonsMayor and @CityofHamilton City Manager Janette Smith signed the #HamOntLRT Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to move forward with the project! #HamOnt

https://twitter.com/HamiltonLRT/status/1440727213507170306

[LikeHamilton]

Hamilton LRT@HamiltonLRT

The Request for Qualifications for bidders on the main #HamOntLRT construction contract is expected to commence as early as fall/winter; early works (utility relocations) are expected to begin in early 2022.

[TheHonestMaple]

Nice! I'm excited to get some aerial shots once construction really gets started in the Spring!

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

Preliminary works are going to begin next week, with the resumption of demolitions along the corridor. As per the newsletter I just received from Metrolinx;

Upcoming Corridor Demolitions

Two commercial buildings purchased by Metrolinx to build the Hamilton LRT project will be demolished beginning the week of September 27 at the corner of Main Street East and Kenilworth Avenue. Work will take approximately four weeks to complete.

No road closures are anticipated, though lane restrictions around the work site will be required. Pedestrian access will be maintained with a temporary protected sidewalk.

The buildings in question look to be #1403 - that urban clothing store I never saw anybody inside of for over 10 years, and the building next door.

[TheHonestMaple]

It does concern me a bit that they're knocking down buildings like this one. What is the purpose exactly? What will they replace them with? If you look at the civil planes for the line, the future sidewalk will just barely intersect the existing building footprint.

Is this where the promise of 'affordable rental housing' comes in?

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

It does concern me a bit that they're knocking down buildings like this one. What is the purpose exactly? What will they replace them with? If you look at the civil planes for the line, the future sidewalk will just barely intersect the existing building footprint.

Is this where the promise of 'affordable rental housing' comes in?

The section planes are not full engineering documents. They are preliminary. The entire route will essentially be completely designed by a separate engineering firm, so I imagine there are engineering challenges and discussions going on that have not been made public. It's my understanding we don't even know if the bridge across the RHVP needs to be reconstructed or not, though now that we've seen increased budget, I suspect we may.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

The section planes are not full engineering documents. They are preliminary. The entire route will essentially be completely designed by a separate engineering firm, so I imagine there are engineering challenges and discussions going on that have not been made public. It's my understanding we don't even know if the bridge across the RHVP needs to be reconstructed or not, though now that we've seen increased budget, I suspect we may.

The number of demolitions is a little shocking if i'm going to be honest. I just hope it doesn't make those areas look like a 'missing tooth' on the street. Is there some plan in place to make use of the empty lots that will be left?

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

The number of demolitions is a little shocking if i'm going to be honest. I just hope it doesn't make those areas look like a 'missing tooth' on the street. Is there some plan in place to make use of the empty lots that will be left?

There is transit oriented specific zoning which incentivizes as of right profitability. Add the profit capability simply being close to a shiny new King/Main St with shiny LRT trains and 5 more years of investment and job gains in this city. Add the every increasing housing prices in Toronto and people will be looking east of downtown Hamilton for charming victorian and post war neighbourhoods with walkability,cycling options and access to LRT. Assuming the bet on LRT is correct there should be no issues with building next to the LRT. My big hope is that the city doesn't stop pushing for commercial on the first floors as many locations are vacant because they require 50+ years of renovations paid for by the lease holder which is a big expense east of James St N. That and reduced parking minimums, because that will make development along the corridor blow up.

[TheHonestMaple]

Yeah I mean Metrolinx has purchased those properties outright. I highly doubt they'll let them remain as grass fields. It's an excellent opportunity to recoup some of the costs of the LRT itself, considering the value of those plots will skyrocket after the LRT is built. I would really like to know Metrolinx/Hamilton's plan for them, timeline, etc. I'm hoping they can sell them off to developers at fair prices with an agreement in place that they build quality condos/apartment buildings.

Did Metrolinx do any similar demolitions in Kitchener or along the Eglinton/Finch LRT lines?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Yeah I mean Metrolinx has purchased those properties outright. I highly doubt they'll let them remain as grass fields. It's an excellent opportunity to recoup some of the costs of the LRT itself, considering the value of those plots will skyrocket after the LRT is built. I would really like to know Metrolinx/Hamilton's plan for them, timeline, etc. I'm hoping they can sell them off to developers at fair prices with an agreement in place that they build quality condos/apartment buildings.

Did Metrolinx do any similar demolitions in Kitchener or along the Eglinton/Finch LRT lines?

Kitchener wasn't built by Metrolinx, it was built by the Region of Waterloo.

But no, The Hamilton LRT has had by far the most property requirements of any transit project in the GTA. *Maybe* the Ontario Line is taking just as much property, but they tend to be larger parcels. The Hamilton LRT needs dozens of little parcels along King St and Queenston Rd.

Last I heard Metrolinx needs to buy something like 90 properties for the LRT. Most sites Metrolinx only needs a few metres of, but needs to demolish the existing building to take those few metres, meaning that they have to expropriate the whole site. So there is going to be a lot of land left over for redevelopment afterwards.

Take a look at what Metrolinx is doing with it's Ontario Line lands in Toronto..
https://engageio.ca/en

The corridor is going to be quite decimated by the time the LRT is done. One can only hope the redevelopment on the expropriated parcels moves quickly.

[TheHonestMaple]

Yikes. Ya I'm looking through the civil plans in more detail and it is a lot more extensive than I thought. Basically at every intersection a build or two gets demolished. I really hope the redevelopments happen very quickly, otherwise this corridor is going to look quite sad.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Yikes. Ya I'm looking through the civil plans in more detail and it is a lot more extensive than I thought. Basically at every intersection a build or two gets demolished. I really hope the redevelopments happen very quickly, otherwise this corridor is going to look quite sad.

It already looks sad for long stretches.

I don't think it's a question of when things will get built, it's what will be built, and the city planning just needs to be smart about that.

In many cases, at station locales, adjacent properties will need to be purchased and demolished or radically adapted if larger developments that incorporate the surplus land not required by Metrolinx are to happen. So I expect we'll see even more stuff come down toward the end of the LRT construction and soon afterward. The urban form along the transit corridor is likely to change very drastically over the next 10 years.

[TheHonestMaple]

I just hope that the city takes an agressive approach on approvals for new developments. Even financial incentives.

It does concern me a bit that we haven't heard any plan for redeveloping the future vacant lots. Maybe I'm wrong? Is there any documents showing a concrete plan in place?

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

It does concern me a bit that we haven't heard any plan for redeveloping the future vacant lots. Maybe I'm wrong? Is there any documents showing a concrete plan in place?

It's probably been hard to do much of that, with the project in limbo for so long. A redevelopment plan with LRT could look very different than one without.

And until the full engineering design is completed, it's hard to say exactly what will be left over to build on.

I suspect the city will start thinking more intensively about that, and work with Metrolinx regarding the sale of the leftover parcels.