Rapid Transit

[lucasmascotto]

Hamilton can expect ‘good news’ on transit cash ‘in coming weeks’: minister
By: Teviah Moro
(The Hamilton Spectator: Tuesday, April 21, 2015)

Mayor Fred Eisenberger has his fingers crossed the province will deliver on the city's $1.1-billion transit request as Ontario's transit pot shrinks after major announcements.

"I continue to be hopeful that there's enough left for Hamilton's transit ask and we'll find out sooner rather than later," Eisenberger said Tuesday.

The mayor was reacting to the province's morning announcement to commit $1.6 billion to 23 km of rapid transit between Mississauga and Brampton.

The Hurontario-Main LRT is planned to have 26 stops between the two GTA cities with construction starting in 2018.

Eisenberger hopes for good news Thursday, when the Liberal government unveils its budget at Queen's Park, if not before.

But in a statement, Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca suggested Hamilton will have to wait longer to see if the province delivers on its request.

"Over the coming weeks, we will be in a position to share more good news in more communities, including Hamilton, about what is coming next," Del Duca said.

The province's Moving Ontario Forward plan allocates $16 billion to transit and transportation projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

But on Friday, the government announced $13.5 billion to expand regional GO train service. Factoring in the $1.6-billion Hurontario-Main LRT line, $900 million appears to be left for remaining competing projects in the GTHA.

In total, Hamilton has asked for $1.1 billion in transportation funding. On top of $811 million for LRT, the city is asking for $302 million to improve bus service.

A provincial spokesperson had not yet responded to a request for clarification on funding by Tuesday afternoon.

Eisenberger is banking on Premier Kathleen Wynne to make good on a late January pledge to provide 100 per cent capital funding for the city's planned 14-kilometre LRT line from Eastgate Square to McMaster University.

"I'm hopeful that that commitment holds true."

But mayor has argued the decision to throw the $300-million request on top of the LRT funding would jeopardize the latter.

"I'm hoping that isn't true. If I were the province, I would certainly encourage them to look at the primary ask and the most significant, beneficial value for the city of Hamilton, for not only transportation, for economic uplift."

[drpgq]

Well the feds just announced mass transit funding (although there's not much in the first couple of years), maybe the city could promise that future money as a contribution to sway the province. Although I'm a bit pessimistic that the Ontario government will just say "hey you're getting some increased GO years from now, there's your transit funding". Especially with the murmurings that Ted McMeekin has been making lately, like saying some think the LRT should be North South.

One thing that I'm disappointed about in this whole debacle, is that Hamilton has a grassroots organization that's been advocating for LRT for years. I'm doubting Mississauga and Brampton has one that would be similar, although I could be wrong, and they got funding.

[Innsertnamehere]

mississauga had strong advocates within the municipal governments, there was no need for a grassroots organization.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

mississauga had strong advocates within the municipal governments, there was no need for a grassroots organization.

Also a population about the same as Hamilton's whole metro.

[lucasmascotto]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Also a population about the same as Hamilton's whole metro.

Also a strong geographic, economic, and political tie to Toronto.

[markbarbera]

Mississauga and Brampton also have much stronger representation in the Ontario government caucus

[thistleclub]

More vague, long-term projections for Hamilton rapid transit from the 2015 Ontario Budget:

Page 43:

As part of the establishment of dedicated funds outlined in the 2014 Budget, the government announced an asset optimization target of $3.1 billion. In this Budget, the government is announcing that it is revising its asset optimization target to $5.7 billion — a $2.6 billion increase over the 2014 Budget projection. This increase will help support the Province to:
• Accelerate service enhancements to the GO Transit network, which will lay the foundation for Regional Express Rail (RER);
• Launch a new Connecting Links program, which provides funding for municipal roads that connect to provincial highways;
• Develop a new program to expand the natural gas network, which would help more communities generate economic growth; and
• Enhance regional mobility by investing in Metrolinx’s Next Wave projects of The Big Move, such as the Hurontario–Main Light Rail Transit project in Mississauga and Brampton, and rapid transit in Hamilton.

Page 51:

Other Priority Rapid Transit Projects In addition to RER, the Province will work with related municipalities to move towards implementation of the Hurontario–Main Light Rail Transit project in Mississauga and Brampton, and rapid transit in Hamilton. These projects will help improve regional mobility and can connect to the GO Transit network. Ongoing planning and design work will continue for projects in the Next Wave of The Big Move, including:
• Dundas Street Bus Rapid Transit, linking Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington;
• Durham–Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit;
• Brampton Queen Street Rapid Transit;
• Toronto Relief Line; and
• Yonge North Subway Extension.

Page 52:



With an anticipated start in 2018-2019, Hamilton "rapid transit" is not only subject to the whims of council but also those of the province.

Moreover, Hamilton is the last project to dip into the $16B dedicated funds, so those resources could be fully depleted in three years' time — current cost projections for all-day GO ($13.5B) & Hurontario LRT ($1.6B) make that a distinct possibility — or the Hamilton "priority" re-scoped or postponed in the 2016-17 or 2017-18 budgets.

Abstract "commitments" for a faraway day.

The province's GO 2020 promises to Hamilton are a salient precedent.

2008: “Long given the cold shoulder for commuter rail service, Hamilton residents will have Toronto-bound GO trains to hop on every 15 minutes in rush hour and every 30 minutes the rest of the day as early as 2013….The new trains will run from LIUNA Station on James Street North when the $3-million platform facility there is complete in 2010.”

2015: “The province isn't committing to all-day GO train service for Hamilton before 2025. And only four trains will run between Toronto and the city through the new $58-million James Street North station by the end of 2016. Those additional trips will bring the total Hamilton trains to 12 per day, with eight running through the existing Hunter Street GO hub.”

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Cynical moment - my apologies.

What is the Province's incentive to actually invest in rapid transit (whatever that means) for Hamilton? I mean seriously, of course. I'm not talking a few shiny new buses or what have you.

Those who don't want it aren't going to vote for the Libs anyway. And those who want public transit improvements will continue to vote Liberal regardless of whether or not the government ever actually follows through merely out of fear that the PCs will come in and axe the 'programme.'

I may be wrong but I don't believe Hamilton wields enough power come election day to actually force their hand. This city has a history of voting NDP and yet the Liberals persist at Queen's Park - that's all you need to know about Hamilton getting a chunk of that transit dough.

[SteelTown]

Apparently Queen's Park is waiting for the mayor's new citizens panel on transit recommendation before anything happens.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

CBC now has an editorial asking "Did Brampton just get Hamilton's LRT money?"

It was never our LRT money. If they did get it, it's because they made it clear to the provincial government that they wanted it.

but we'e still paying for it.

A common anti Hamilton LRT argument was that we can't afford it, but the counter argument was that we're paying for it (the Big Move) anyway, so we might as well try and leverage as much provincial investment for Hamilton as possible.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by CaptainKirk

but we'e still paying for it.

A common anti Hamilton LRT argument was that we can't afford it, but the counter argument was that we're paying for it (the Big Move) anyway, so we might as well try and leverage as much provincial investment for Hamilton as possible.

So much misinformation and ignorance out there.

I remain positive to hear what gets announced (the city is sure to say they need a better idea of what kind of funding is available to inform the work of the citizens' panel).

But after skimming through about 1,000 pages combined of federal and provincial budget material, I am truly amazed at how much space can be dedicated to saying so little. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by CaptainKirk

but we'e still paying for it.

A common anti Hamilton LRT argument was that we can't afford it, but the counter argument was that we're paying for it (the Big Move) anyway, so we might as well try and leverage as much provincial investment for Hamilton as possible.

Ontario taxpayers (of which Hamiltonians are some) are paying for it. As a provincial taxpayer, I'm pleased that my tax dollars are going to projects which have the full backing of local leadership. If you put yourself in the shoes of someone paying taxes in Milton or Maple or wherever, you'd probably be much happier with the province investing a huge sum of money in a project that all the local officials agree is a great deal, rather than in one which the local officials can't decide to support or not.

I think that Dr. Awesomesauce is probably right that Hamilton is not the type of battleground that is very compelling for this provincial government to invest in. Luckily, no one can credibly accuse them of that in the case of rapid transit funding, since it's not clear whether our council even wants the money or not. I don't think we can blame the provincial government: it's our local "leadership" that is at fault for not putting their support behind this.

Oh, and while they are busy talking endlessly about whether or not to dedicate their energy to asking for funding for rapid transit, we are not making needed changes to our current transit system.

[MoreTrains]

Im not sure if I 100% understand... Is not the major issue that the city council cannot agree if they want LRT and even if they do, they cannot agree where its supposed to go? So if the city cannot decide on LRT, even if the province offers funding, theyre not the ones who have to design and build it. So either way, I believe that the province has lived up to their promise to provide funding, but it is now upto to Hamilton cirt council to approve, design and build it.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

Im not sure if I 100% understand... Is not the major issue that the city council cannot agree if they want LRT and even if they do, they cannot agree where its supposed to go? So if the city cannot decide on LRT, even if the province offers funding, theyre not the ones who have to design and build it. So either way, I believe that the province has lived up to their promise to provide funding, but it is now upto to Hamilton cirt council to approve, design and build it.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Well there were (I think) a couple of times where the Council voted unanimously that they wanted LRT (or at least once), and the Province seemed to ignore that and mumble things about maybe buses or something. It seemed like whenever the city actually started to get it's act sort of together the province became more distant.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by MoreTrains

Is not the major issue that the city council cannot agree if they want LRT and even if they do, they cannot agree where its supposed to go?

On February 25, 2013, councillors voted unanimously to submit Hamilton's east-west LRT plan (the expansive, detailed Rapid Ready: Expanding Mobility Choices In Hamilton) to Metrolinx for approval and funding. Recommendation?

(a) That Report PW13014 be submitted, including Appendix A, “Rapid Ready - Expanding Mobility Choices in Hamilton (January 2013)”, as the City of Hamilton’s submission to Metrolinx in accordance with the Contribution Agreement between the City and Metrolinx, with the understanding that the funding requirements for Hamilton’s public transportation program are:
(i) $800M capital and an upset net levy impact of $3.5M operating for Light Rail Transit,
(ii) (ii) growth funding for the overall public transportation program, as summarized on Pages 43 and 44 of Appendix A to Report PW03014 (refer to Investment Plan Tab), necessary to support a successful Light Rail Transit system;”

(b) That the Work Plan detailed in the Appendix A to Report PW03014 be used as the basis for future budget submissions;
(c) That the Outstanding Business List item identified as Rapid Transit Maintenance & Storage Facility be removed from the General Issues Committee Outstanding Business List.

10 of the councillors who supported PW13014/Rapid Ready 26 months ago remain on council.

In May 2014 and again in June 2014, the 2014 Budget described the province’s plans for allocating transit-dedicated finds across the GTHA:

“The Province will work with Metrolinx and municipalities on how best to prioritize transit investments through the use of rigorous business‐case analyses. These analyses will help prioritize Next Wave projects that could be accommodated within the Province’s dedicated fund for the GTHA and provide the best value for Ontarians.”

In this coolly objective context, Council’s opinion should be all but irrelevant. It’s “rigorous business‐case analyses” and the considerably more abstract “best value for Ontarians” that drive the decision-making, and it’s the provincial government — which went out of its way to render Metrolinx politically impotent in 2009 — that bears the ultimate responsibility for planning long-term infrastructure for Ontario (a point underlined when Minister Del Duca’s predecessor brought forward a bill focused on creating a legislative framework for integrated, evidence-based, long-term infrastructure and land use planning (which died on the order papers in the last election).

While the provincial government that received Rapid Ready was a minority, it has picked up 10 seats since Feb 2013 and now enjoys a comfortable majority, meaning that the only practical limitations it faces are those of its own devising.

[LikeHamilton]

Wynne Still Hinting For A Hamilton LRT-GO Connection

AM900 CHML |Shiona Thompson | April 24, 2015 10:26 am

Premier Kathleen Wynne is hinting again that any LRT line in Hamilton should be connected to GO transit.

She made the suggestion while speaking with CHML’s Bill Kelly this morning.

She says her government remains committed to providing funding for “rapid transit” in the city but she says the conversation must include connecting the local transit system with the regional transportation system.

Wynne says the Minister of Transportation will be visiting in Hamilton in the next couple of weeks and she’s hoping that will be part of the discussion.

Right now – the city’s plans for the LRT do not include a connection with the new GO station on James street but Mayor Eisenberger has indicated he’d be willing to consider changing the route to make that happen.

The city has asked the province for the full capital cost, estimated in the billion dollar range, of a 13-kilometre LRT line from McMaster University to Eastgate Square. Hamilton also wants additional funding of about $300 million to expand HSR service.

It’s expected the minister may make some sort of funding announcement when he visits the city next month.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

But after skimming through about 1,000 pages combined of federal and provincial budget material, I am truly amazed at how much space can be dedicated to saying so little. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be.

The federal and Ontario budgets are the only ones in Canada I believe presented without simultaneous Estimates documents (detail spending plans).

But if you think you'll ever find detail like a city budget, you'd be mistaken. It is verboden to talk definitively about things you might want to do but haven't committed to 100%.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

Wynne Still Hinting For A Hamilton LRT-GO Connection

AM900 CHML |Shiona Thompson | April 24, 2015 10:26 am

Premier Kathleen Wynne is hinting again that any LRT line in Hamilton should be connected to GO transit.

She made the suggestion while speaking with CHML’s Bill Kelly this morning.

She says her government remains committed to providing funding for “rapid transit” in the city but she says the conversation must include connecting the local transit system with the regional transportation system.

Setting aside the fact that three of GO Transit's bus routes overlap the B-Line route for 2km (overlapping potential stops at Gore Park, Queen and Dundurn), the Hamilton GO Centre is a 5 minute walk from Gore Park.

Burlington Transit 101 Express service travels between downtown and the Fairview station with far greater frequency than trains are expected in Hamilton for a decade or more.

This is the kind of provisional commitment we've come to expect of Ontario Liberals: They remain committed to a promise they made in 2007, but only if some 2015 preconditions are satisfied.

And with all-day GO trains purely hypothetical...

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

Setting aside the fact that three of GO Transit's bus routes overlap the B-Line route for 2km (overlapping potential stops at Gore Park, Queen and Dundurn), the Hamilton GO Centre is a 5 minute walk from Gore Park.

And with all-day GO trains purely hypothetical...

Further to this we don't know which one of our GO stations we really ought to be adjusting our LRT route to connect to.

We've been told for years that all day service will be coming to LIUNA Station but the budget says Hunter St. will be getting upgraded service sooner? Do they even remember they'd have to rebuild the tunnel to do that?

Both stations are on the A Line but that doesn't even count seeing as it's outside the 10 year window (i.e. never going to happen.)

People who actually use transit will know that it's not about connecting dots on a map but creating convenient service. What Mississauga is doing is great - and makes sense. They are connecting two GO stations on different routes so that LRT will save people hours of time by transferring via LRT instead of going in and out of Union. Its primary function however is not a shuttle between GO stations but a backbone of quality transit for local users.

Some will say let's build the A-line fist because it connects two GO stations on the same line and the barely used airport and the unpopulated waterfront as well as tons of car dealers and farmland. That looks great on paper but it isn't nearly as useful as a B Line serving our most dense and transit-crowded corridor stopping 5 minutes from the GO Centre.

The B-line could jog down to Hunter which could be an LRT / pedestrian plaza in front of the GO station then run back to King through the MacNab bus terminal - maybe making use of the parking lot behind the Pigott building. Or it could use Hughson as a short spur to hit the GO station and back up back to King. LRT is a versatile tool - it doesn't have to be only straight lines.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

Further to this we don't know which one of our GO stations we really ought to be adjusting our LRT route to connect to....

The B-line could jog down to Hunter which could be an LRT / pedestrian plaza in front of the GO station then run back to King through the MacNab bus terminal - maybe making use of the parking lot behind the Pigott building. Or it could use Hughson as a short spur to hit the GO station and back up back to King. LRT is a versatile tool - it doesn't have to be only straight lines.

I think making Hughson transit/pedestrian-only for the 350m between Hunter and King and running the Wynne spur there makes the most sense. (It's a third of the distance of Gore to James North GO, minimizing lag on detours where there are no boardings or offloads, and there are existing synergies with HSR routes 1/2/3/51 — and abundant additional berths available.)

Agree that it's not a difficult problem to solve, if in fact the goal is to solve that problem. I'm not convinced that it is, however.