The future of Hamilton's public transit

[SteelTown]

Province gives city transit funds

By Kevin Werner

Hamilton's bank account just got bigger this week after the provincial government announced it will give the city over $7.5 million.

The provincial grant, which will be provided to the city by the end of March, will be earmarked for transit capital projects.

Councillors were scheduled March 5 to approve a bylaw accepting the money. The city had until March 21 to pass the bylaw.

There is some indication by politicians the money will be used to accelerate the construction and relocation of a new downtown bus depot on Hunter Street near the GO Station from Gore Park.

Downtown councillor Bob Bratina has been pushing to remove the buses on King Street along Gore Park from the area and eliminate problems they create for area merchants.

But there are about 19 other high priority transit capital projects that have already been identified for funding by a citizens' group.

Last September the Gas Tax and Transit Master Plan subcommittee proposed funding this year to expand transit service in the Waterdown-Burlington area, establish a peak transit service along Rymal Road and Garner Street.

Other projects that were not selected, but will be funded from the city's gas tax revenues over the next few years include expanding transit services to the Hamilton Airport; boosting transit service in the West Hamilton area from McMaster University to Ancaster; the Main West service from Dundas to downtown; improved Parkdale, Ancaster, Mohawk and Stone Church transit services, and upgrading the transit services' reliability.

[raisethehammer]

HOW ABOUT IMPROVING SERVICE IN THE EAST/WEST LOWER CITY???
Friggin Rymal Road...what a joke. It should be number 37 on the priority list. Not 2nd, behind Waterdown - sprawlville. Brutal.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

HOW ABOUT IMPROVING SERVICE IN THE EAST/WEST LOWER CITY???
Friggin Rymal Road...what a joke. It should be number 37 on the priority list. Not 2nd, behind Waterdown - sprawlville. Brutal.

to be fair, rth, there is a LOT of new development along Hwy53 (aka Rymal Rd), and if we want the people up there choosing Public Transit over cars, we need to give them decent service. Provide them with an alternative. So I can see why the city wants to start a route up there.

Improvements to service levels for the current system IS needed, 100%... but so is a permanant route along 53 (Rymal).

[go_leafs_go02]

pfft..lower mountain service is soo much better than up here..really..i got to wait anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour in order to get somewhere here. It is frustrating, and definitely wish service is upgraded here, especially a route on rymal would be nice.

[flar]

I had to take a bus to Upper Gage/Rymal area from Dundas once, and another time to Mohawk Park from McMaster. I think it took over an hour. Nobody with other options would ever do that.

[go_leafs_go02]

The 08xx models have arrived!!

three buses so far, 3 more by the weekend!

[matt602]

Yep. They look spiffy

[oldcoote]

TheSpec.com

The Ontario government will soon introduce new legislation directing a portion of its budget surplus to build roads, bridges and public transit, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced this morning.

The Investing in Ontario Act would mean that any "unintended surpluses" of more than $800 million would result in a minimum of $200 million going to infrastructure, after the first $600 million is used to pay down debt.

The maximum amount municipalities could receive under the plan would be $2 billion, in the highly unlikely case of the province recording a $2.6-billion budget surplus.

The new bill would lift a restriction that forces the province to use such surpluses to pay down Ontario's debt, which now stands at more than $160 billion.

"Investing in municipal infrastructure not only addresses the capital needs of our communities, but it also creates more jobs in the short term and prosperity in the long run," Duncan told a Queen's Park news conference.

Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion hailed the move.

"It's a step in the right direction," said McCallion, urging Ottawa to follow the province's lead.

Association of Municipalities of Ontario president Doug Reycraft said the plan would help address the province’s $40-billion deficit in infrastructure spending.

[HAMRetrofit]

Fantastic!

[BrianE]

A little late now, but still a good idea. The next 2-3 or 4 years are going to be pretty lean so don't expect any budget surpluses at any level of government for the next little while.

Someone should have thought of this policy in 2003-2004 just before the big budget surpluss years we've had lately.

[SteelTown]

Projected surplus this year will be $750 million. So no money this year.

If this was done last year would have gotten $1.5 billion. Cost is spilt based on population so that's a bonus for us.

[raisethehammer]

funny how the cutoff is $800 million and it just so happens that the projected surplus is $750mil. wow. what a crazy coincidence.

[hamiltonguy]

I think this is a good idea as the provincial government should be involved in infrastructure funding.

However I always get annoyed when people say the federal government should directly fund vast infrastructure programs.

In my opinion the federal government should restrict itself to the following:

1) Transferring the Federal Gas Tax to the provinces based on Population for the Provinces to use on infrastructure (either keep it or transfer it to Municipalities along with Provincial Gas Tax)

2) Strategic National Infrastructure ( The Gateway Programs etc.)

3) Transfer of some of the revenues of a future federal Carbon Tax.

[raisethehammer]

next Wednesday (the 19th) at 11:30 the new replica trolleys will be unveiled down at Pier 8 by Williams Coffee.
They are painted in the old HSR colours of burgundy and cream and have the vingate logo.
there is a ringing bell at the front and wood slat seating on the inside.
They will be used for the downtown-waterfront shuttle in the summer.

[markbarbera]

Projected surplus is always underestimated. Actual surplus will easily be double the projected $750 mil.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

next Wednesday (the 19th) at 11:30 the new replica trolleys will be unveiled down at Pier 8 by Williams Coffee.
They are painted in the old HSR colours of burgundy and cream and have the vingate logo.
there is a ringing bell at the front and wood slat seating on the inside.
They will be used for the downtown-waterfront shuttle in the summer.

That's so kewl! I can't wait to see/use them (although I usually rollerblade all the way down to the bay).

Do you (or does anyone) know the route? Is it sticking with the original seasonal route (I believe along Bay), or will it be going down James North?

[raisethehammer]

same as last year....James North to King, west to Honest Lawyer stop. Up Bay to York to James and back up James.

[hamiltonguy]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

next Wednesday (the 19th) at 11:30 the new replica trolleys will be unveiled down at Pier 8 by Williams Coffee.
They are painted in the old HSR colours of burgundy and cream and have the vingate logo.
there is a ringing bell at the front and wood slat seating on the inside.
They will be used for the downtown-waterfront shuttle in the summer.

How long ago was Burgundy and Cream? That sounds like either the old Trolley Bus scheme or the old Interurban Scheme. The Street Car Scheme was two-tone green (Dark on the bottom, and creamy green on the top)

[raisethehammer]

sounds like it was from 1950-70's.

http://www.trolleybuses.net/ham/ham.htm

may have even been before 1950.

[SteelTown]

http://www.trolleybuses.net/ham/jpg/...710924_ghl.jpg