VIA has not approved it yet. And from people I know that have worked on getting VIA to Hamilton…don’t hold your breath. There not interested in that location. They either want a lot of money and fix the Hunter tunnel, connect to the CN line by Ottawa Street (Gage Avenue line) and be in the GO Centre (centrally located one stop transit center) or be in the east end close to vehicle access and parking. James is too close to Aldershot and they will not leave there. It is in the almighty corridor.
I cannot see any advantage to GO splitting their operations and have trains and busses almost 2 km apart. I really do not think people coming downtown on a bus will be interested in transferring to another bus and add another 15 to 20 minutes each way to their daily commute.
I think we should be pushing for the proper solution and put everything around the GO Center. Go & VIA left James because it generated no increases in traffic. Even GO had increases almost immediately after move from James to the GO Center.
We keep nickel and dimming everything in this city. Make a transportation hub in one location. Connect it to the other transportation hub in the city, the Airport.
Make a long term plan for light rail and not just the two lines. The original proposal for LRT should not be based on the old City of Hamilton boundaries, which they are being proposed at this time. This is one big city. The east west line should start by Fruitland Road at Hwy 8. There is still a lot of vacant land out there. Build a small station and a huge free parking lot. There is direct access to the QEW at Fruitland Road and encourage people to take the LRT to downtown and the GO Centre. The west end should go into Dundas along Main Street and not Cootes Drive (Not yet). Run the line to the bottom of HWY 8 where it is industrial land like chemical plants. Again with a small station and large free parking lot. Take the LRT to McMaster and the GO station there instead of driving to Aldershot or downtown. The reason for a line into Dundas via Main Street/Osler Drive is that you then, as a future project, run a line up to Ancaster Via Main/HWY 2 Hill/Wilson Street, through downtown Ancaster by the new Fair Grounds to HWY 52. Again with access to HWY 403 and with a small station and large free parking lot connecting to the GO station at McMaster, the Innovation Centre and on to downtown.
The north south line starts at the waterfront to the GO Center, over to the Claremont Access to the West 5th exit to a new Mohawk College transit centre (Connected to the school), along Fennell back to Upper James to the Airport. The Airport part should be built from the beginning. The present plan has it stop at Rymal the historic old city limits. The proposal should have a plan to extend to the line to Caledonia. If not into the town as far as the rail line at least to the city limits again with a small station and large free parking lot. We should push this part as the government having faith in the future growth of Caledonia. Good PR for the provincial government.
Other lines that should be laid out are, in no particular order:
· East west Mohawk Road from Wilson Street line to the Meadowlands, across the mountain, across the Red Hill Parkway and down Mud Street to Centennial Parkway.
· Short Fennell line from Mohawk College terminal to Mountain Brow Blvd.
· A Short line on Concession from Upper Ottawa to Upper Wellington. Then up to Fennel and either end or continue on to the Mohawk College station.
· A line running from the Meadowlands (Connecting to the Mohawk line) to Mud Street VIA the LINK. This would be more of an express east west line.
· A Rymal Road run from the Ancaster Fair Ground to Upper Centennial.
· A King Street line (the first east west should be on Main Street/Question Road/Hwy 8) from the Hwy 8/Fruitland Road terminal then on to King Street in Stoney Creek staying on King Street to McMaster. This line could then continue on to Dundas along Cootes Drive.
· A Barton Street line starting around 50 Road and the Peach Festival Fair Grounds travelling to James Street/Waterfront area and maybe then up to the GO Centre.
· A Cannon Street Short line from Parkdale to Dundurn Park and possibly a seasonal run into the Botanical Gardens. This line may be extended into Burlington/Aldershot to the VIA/GO Station one day.
· North south lines, besides a Wilson Street/Ancaster and James/Upper James route, a line should run from the huge large development in Binbrook. This can go down Hwy 56 or at time through fields to Upper Centennial down Hwy 20 Hill and then down Centennial to the QEW and the new (I think they will build it) power centre and VIA/GO station. This line can be extended to Confederation Park and down Beach Blvd to the canal and lift bridge.
· A line should be built on Upper Ottawa from Rymal Road with connections at the LINK, Mohawk, Fennell and Concession, down the Kenilworth Access to King and then over Ottawa Street and down to the Centre mall connecting to the Main, King, Cannon and Barton Street routes.
Yes this will take a few years to complete. But once the ball starts to roll and people and the different levels of government see the return on their investments, it will be easier to get funding. Also developers and people buying houses/property/businesses will know that there will be an LRT line near them in the near future. After seeing how it is great for business, developers, home owners and business people may start asking for a LRT line to be extended or a new line be built into their area
Let the other levels of government know you’re serious about better transportation and not just go for what you think they will fund. Who knows, they maybe looking for someone with vision to lead the next revolution in transportation in the province and country?