Special Report: Light Rail

Letter: Hamilton Physicians Endorse Light Rail

A group of medical doctors in Hamilton has signed a letter calling on Hamilton City Council to continue to support the city's LRT plan.

By RTH Staff
Published October 25, 2016

57 medical doctors in Hamilton have signed an open letter calling on Hamilton City Council to continue to support the city's Light Rail Transit (LRT) plan, citing the public health and safety benefits of reduced risk of vehicle collisions, cleaner air and increased active transportation.

The letter also expresses the hope that this line will be the first part of "a comprehensive rapid transit network that serves our entire city."

Following is the text of the letter:

24 October 2016

Dear Mayor Eisenberger and Hamilton City Council:

As physicians practicing family medicine and other specialties in the City of Hamilton, we write to express our support for the city's plan to build a Light Rail Transit system along the B-line corridor with a branch line to the West Harbour GO station.

We hope that the current plan, funded by Metrolinx, will be the first step towards a comprehensive rapid transit network that serves our entire city.

We believe that the LRT will have significant effects on the safety and health of citizens. An LRT system, along with the complete streets that feed into the LRT corridor, allows street users to choose travel methods other than driving a car. By reducing car use overall, the risk of traffic fatalities is reduced.

Complete streets also serve to reduce speed, which is well known to be associated with a drop in the risk of death if a pedestrian or cyclist is hit by a motor vehicle.

The reduction in automobile use will also prevent cardiovascular and respiratory illness and death that results from exposure to the exhaust from internal combustion engines.

Furthermore, having an LRT will give people the option to include active transport as part of their commute (by walking or cycling to and from LRT stations). As physicians, we often advise patients to include physical activity in their daily lives, though many find it too difficult due to time constraints.

Physical activity has been shown to prevent and treat many chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and dementia. How wonderful would it be to have LRT as an option for patients to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines as they travel by foot or bike to LRT stations?

We firmly believe that the LRT will provide significant safety and health benefits to the citizens of Hamilton and it is something Council should support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Aguanno
Family Physician

Dr. Diana Ahmed
Family Physician

Dr. Ken Burgess
Family Physician

Dr. Scott Brimble
Nephrologist

Dr. Michael Carvalho
Pathology Resident

Dr. David Chan
Family Physician

Dr. Catherine Clase
Nephrologist

Dr. Mark Crowther
Hematologist

Dr. Meghan Davis
Family Physician

Dr. Zoë Del Bel Belluz
Family Physician

Dr. Erick Duan
Intensivist

Dr. David Farnell
Pathology Resident

Dr. Peggy Goodacre
Family Physician

Dr. Dale Guenter
Family Physician

Dr. Serena Gundy
General Internist

Dr. Gordon Guyatt
General Internist

Dr. Geoff Holdway
Family Physician

Dr. Adrian Hornich
Family Physician

Dr. Alistair Ingram
Nephrologist

Dr. Nick Kates
Psychiatrist

Dr. Fiona Kouyoumdjian
Public Health Physician

Dr. Christian Kraeker
General Internist

Dr. Guy LeBlanc
Family Physician

Dr. Kimberly Legault
Rheumatologist

Dr. Carolyne Lemieux
Pathology Resident

Dr. Joan Li
Family Physician

Dr. Rachel Loewith
Family Physician

Dr. Peter Margetts
Nephrologist

Dr. David McCullagh
Internal Medicine Resident

Dr. John Neary
General Internist

Dr. Simon Oczkowski
Intensivist

Dr. Ravinder Ohson
Family Physician

Dr. Tim O'Shea
Infectious Diseases

Dr. Emily Ow
Family Physician

Dr. Tamar Packer
Family Physician

Dr. Casey Park
Internal Medicine Resident

Dr. Bernard Pawlowicz
Pathology Resident

Dr. Sébastien Prat
Psychiatrist

Dr. David Price
Family Physician

Dr. Christian Rabbat
Nephrologist

Dr. Alia Rana
Family Physician

Dr. Ranjith Ratnasingam
Family Physician

Dr. Lori Regenstreif
Family Physician

Dr. Bram Rochwerg
Intensivist

Dr. Gemma Rodgers
Family Physician

Dr. Erica Roebbelen
Family Physician

Dr. Haider Saeed
Family Physician

Dr. Myles Sergeant
Family Physician

Dr. Shelly Sender
Family Physician

Dr. Deborah Siegal
Hematologist

Dr. Madeleine Verhovsek
Hematologist

Dr. Allyn Walsh
Family Physician

Dr. Brianna Wilson
Family Physician

Dr. Roselyn Wilson
Psychiatry Resident

Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk
Family Physician

Dr. Steven Wong
Internal Medicine Resident

Dr. Christine Zrinscak
Family Physician

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By JasonL (registered) | Posted October 25, 2016 at 07:37:25

More unemployed hobo's who think we care about their opinion

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