Rapid Transit

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

Originally Posted by HamiltonBoyInToronto

Members of council who oppose the LRT should have their faces plastered all over the city with a banner that reads "I opposed billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs for the city of Hamilton and I want my ward to pay for infrastructure upgrades along King Street "

Shit, start crowdfunding I'll contribute

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Never thought we would see the day. Hamilton will finally be getting this LRT.

Ummmmm no comment. Let's enjoy the moment...again.

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

We're not out of the woods yet. The council directed staff to create a MOU, but they still have weeks till they approve it for submission. It will still be months before constriction starts.

With the federal election everybody is sure will happen soon, it might have some funding woes closer to construction... again.

[craftbeerdad]

Need to keep the enthusiasm muted.

Way too many opportunities for this to be derailed again. Federal election in the fall possibly, MOU getting dissected/people dissenting or who knows, just Hamilton being Hamilton.

[Innsertnamehere]

I'm doubtful at this point. The Federal liberals are polling high and I would consider it unlikely for them to lose. Plus even if they did, I'm not sure I see the PCs meddling with the federal contribution.

Is it a 100% thing? no. Is it very likely at this point? yes.

[NortheastWind]

Originally Posted by ShavedParmesanCheese

We're not out of the woods yet. The council directed staff to create a MOU, but they still have weeks till they approve it for submission. It will still be months before constriction starts.

With the federal election everybody is sure will happen soon, it might have some funding woes closer to construction... again.

I would think that the MOU will be a revision of the original (??), before the province cancelled the project, so it may not take as long as it normally would.

[Markus83]

It’s time to take yes for an answer on LRT in Hamilton : Posted today on thespec.com

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contribu...es-for-an-answer-on-lrt-in-hamilton.html

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by NortheastWind

I would think that the MOU will be a revision of the original (??), before the province cancelled the project, so it may not take as long as it normally would.

This is likely. No need to re-invent the wheel here, just tweak the terms a bit and voila.

In fact I think I read a reference to this being the plan.

[ScreamingViking]

Opinion piece from Premi and Shaker:


LRT is the start of something greater for Hamilton

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contribu...t-of-something-greater-for-hamilton.html

Paul Shaker & David Premi
The Hamilton Spectator
Tue., July 6, 2021



Hamilton is maturing as a city. It looks like we have finally decided to say yes (again) to light rail transit. This decision to start with a permanent east-west rail line is overwhelmingly supported by studies, transit experts and planners. It is also very confidently supported by both the federal and provincial governments who will pay to build it. Support for the system is rooted in facts and best practices. However, it’s important to remember that LRT is the start of something greater.

LRT is the start of building a truly integrated transportation network with fast efficient connections all across Hamilton. It is the start of building a more sustainable city that make better use of our infrastructure. Light rail is the start of building out an entire rapid transit network, something that is called the BLAST network. But it all starts with the letter B. The B-Line is the backbone of the BLAST network.

The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) has been in operation for more than 140 years, building up routes and ridership. About 30 years ago, ridership along the major east-west corridor grew to the point where the B-Line express bus route was launched. That corridor has become a foundation to our modern transit system, continuing to build up ridership over the decades. Now, in the 2020s, it is well past time to upgrade the B-Line corridor to LRT.

There is good reason why the ridership on the B-Line is high. It serves two of the largest employment nodes in Hamilton, downtown and McMaster University connecting thousands of workers to their jobs. It is important economic infrastructure. Newer developments such as the West Hamilton Innovation District and Tim Hortons Field are only increasing demand along this corridor.

Some may ask, what about the rest of the BLAST network? The A-line express bus route that runs from the downtown to the airport was launched in 2009, and it is starting the journey to building ridership. It is the next logical step in building out the rapid transit network. However, we shouldn’t be looking at these routes in isolation. If you live on the East Mountain, or in Dundas, you will benefit from LRT as a transit user as well as a local taxpayer. That’s because the entire HSR system will integrate with LRT making movement and connections easier and faster.

Further, it is important that the B-Line is a permanent rail line. There are many logical reasons for this. First and foremost, it creates the most efficient form of rapid transit, attracts significant new riders and is the most cost effective from an operational point of view. Metrolinx officials who have looked at Hamilton estimate that with LRT, ridership will double by 2041 whereas with our current bus system, only moderate gains will be made. This translates into millions in new annual revenues that can be reinvested in the entire HSR system.

There are other good reasons why the B-Line must be LRT. Permanent rails inspire investor confidence. Buses do not. The construction of an LRT line is a strong statement from the city that it is serious about building a network of higher order transit. The B-Line is an anchor for the BLAST network and the last thing you want is for your anchor to drift or be let go altogether. As has been the experience of other cities, that confidence will spur an acceleration of investment and development along the B-Line corridor, creating enhanced tax revenues, development charges and jobs during and after the construction.

Both the federal and the provincial governments understand this. Why else would they be investing $3.4 billion in this transit initiative for Hamilton? This is a very confident decision. By improving the mobility and connectivity of all residents, it is a strategic effort to increase the quality of life and economics of the entire region.

Added to this cross-party political agreement is the unprecedented support from across different segments of the community, from employers, to developers, to environmentalists. Rarely has there been this level of institutional consensus on an issue in Hamilton.

Finally, it bears reminding that Hamilton doesn’t have an alternative on offer that comes anywhere close to addressing the variety of issues facing our city, whether economically, socially or environmentally. Decades of investment, decades in planning, millions of dollars in studies, reports and strategies have led us to this point.

LRT is pretty much the best thing that could happen to Hamilton right now, and we should all be celebrating the promise and prospects for the future.

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

That T line will be the most convoluted line to build engineeringly, but it doesn't look too bad

Curiously, if all these lines are built to plan, then the old Beltline will be 3/4th reconstructed, all it'll need is Barton St., just without that jog before the Delta.



edit: Not Burlington, Barton St.

[matt602]

If the L line is ever gonna make sense, they're gonna have to connect the existing route 18 bus route up to downtown or the rest of the bus system. Even if they did, I can't see that ever meeting the ridership criteria for a rapid transit route since its just so geographically separated from the rest of the city. The other lines have always looked like no-brainer candidates to me.

[anactualalien]

It would be cool to see the L line head down Plains Road and into Burlington.

[Innsertnamehere]

It’s unlikely that any of the other lines, other than *maybe* the A line, will ever be built as LRT.

The B line carries literally half of all transit ridership in the city so it makes sense to be an LRT, the others are much lower density and have much lower ridership, it doesn’t make financial sense.

The other lines don’t need more tha BRT, and in the case of the L line, it probably doesn’t even need that.

[Beedok]

Maybe the L-line will be BRT because it doesn’t make any stops at all between Waterdown and downtown?

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by matt602

If the L line is ever gonna make sense, they're gonna have to connect the existing route 18 bus route up to downtown or the rest of the bus system. Even if they did, I can't see that ever meeting the ridership criteria for a rapid transit route since its just so geographically separated from the rest of the city. The other lines have always looked like no-brainer candidates to me.

It will probably just be an express bus service initially.

If that development vision for Clappison's Corners happens, the demand could justify BRT.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

It’s unlikely that any of the other lines, other than *maybe* the A line, will ever be built as LRT.

The B line carries literally half of all transit ridership in the city so it makes sense to be an LRT, the others are much lower density and have much lower ridership, it doesn’t make financial sense.

The other lines don’t need more tha BRT, and in the case of the L line, it probably doesn’t even need that.

I think LRT will push more ridership growth, and will subsequently lead to the other express lines growing to the need of BRT. Once BRT is built it will likely take 30 additional years to build ridership to justify LRT along any of those routes. Some may never be justified, as Rymal even now is being built and zoned for low density. If they were serious about BLAST the council would have upzonedand removed parking minimums for everything within a 1.5km radius of the future lines immediately after the the B-Line LRT is open.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by ShavedParmesanCheese

That T line will be the most convoluted line to build engineeringly, but it doesn't look too bad

I doubt it will ever be more than a bus service, though perhaps LRT along the Mohawk Rd. portion could be economically justifiable at some point (if density rises enough)

I could see Barton getting some kind of express bus service in the future, though the way it has been reconfigured it's a pretty slow street. Not that I'm complaining about that... Barton has the potential to be the "new" James N. and sections of it are already emulating that.

[Beedok]

I do wonder about the BLAST network plans not touching Concession street at all. That seems like a logical connection for the T-Line idea.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I do wonder about the BLAST network plans not touching Concession street at all. That seems like a logical connection for the T-Line idea.

BLACST?

Connecting bus service would probably be fine for that street. It has some density and a major trip generator (Juravinski), but it's kind of short for a BRT corridor.

Once high-capacity corridors are in place, many HSR routes will be adjusted to provide feeder connections to them.

[matt602]

I can totally see the S and T lines becoming a fulll fledged LRT at some point in the next 20 years. The 41 and 44 bus routes are already pretty busy and well used bus routes in spite of their crappy service frequencies. If the HSR were to turn either of them into a BRT-lite route like the B-Line is now, I think they'd be LRT ready within that timeline. Keep in mind that the HSR is planning to renovate the Limeridge Mall Transit Terminal in the next few years and both routes have tons of shopping and employment destinations all along the way. I think both of those corridors will be really important for growing transit ridership on the mountain in the next decade.