Comment 112073

By mdrejhon (registered) - website | Posted June 04, 2015 at 18:54:39 in reply to Comment 111929

Underscoring my above comment.

I have since learned about Calgary's C-Train history. Did you know that the C-Train LRT carried less people daily at first, than today's Hamilton B-Line (11,000 per day, which doesn't even operate evenings/weekends)?

Today, the original Calgary C-Train line now carries over 150,000 people per day -- and today, the whole two-LRT-route system now carries over 300,000 people per day.

People had not liked the bus service back then on the original route, not too much unlike Hamilton not liking HSR public transit today. But they love their own LRT. Ontario does not have a true traffic-priority LRT, none of TTC streetcar lines (not even Spadina or St. Clair, yet at least) are nearly as fast and efficient as C-Train or several European-style LRTs.

Back in 1981 when C-Train started, the entire metro area of Calgary had a smaller population than Hamilton. And Calgary doesn't even have a Golden Horseshoe. 25% of Canada's population is within 2 hours driving distance of Hamilton!! And the original C-Train route was not as good as Hamilton's even shortened B-Line LRT, as it went through quite a lot of low-density neighborhoods, not too unlike Hamilton Lower City outside downtown.

Allow me to make a prediction that the Hamilton LRT will be in the six-figure ridership well before 2050 after eventual B-Line extensions to Dundas/Stoney Creek and the A-Line stub extended up the mountain to the airport, connecting to both GO stations and eventual all-day two-way GO service. Who wants to bet their mortgage? ;-)

Comment edited by mdrejhon on 2015-06-04 19:07:53

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