Raise the Hammer

Fixed URL: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2689266437... (the clicky was broken)

To be fair, "LRT or nothing" is such a simplistic term. It requires a new application & will require a new timeline that bumps things further out. In addition, Metrolinx historically funds other municipalities' large bus initiatives by a much smaller amount than LRT initiatives.

The article is simply pointing out that a re-planned LRT (taking Main route, for example) would be bumped out many years into the future, since Hamilton will have to take a fresher funds (even if same $1 billion) as the original $1 billion will go back to the Moving-Ontario-Forward fund, to fund a different part of the "Big Move" sooner while we spent time re-planning our LRT. We can't re-plan our LRT fast enough while "keeping our place" in the Big Move schedule. Doing it Brampton's way may end up being the difference between your kids getting to McMaster by LRT, versus grandkids getting to McMaster by LRT.

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On other semi-related topics:

Personally, myself, I indeed feel the King LRT needs to be built without delay, extensions should begin (Eastgate) immediately afterwards, the bus garage is a good investment (Hamilton's $150M Garage Mahal actually is bigger than VIVA's new bus barn and cheaper-per-bus) while not delaying LRT.

Yes, I was originally surprised how expensive Hamilton's bus barn was, but the new slightly-reduced $150M estimate now makes it cheaper per-bus than VIVA's bus barn and the Metrolinx Waterdown go bus barn -- given it's also maintenance, indoors for 300 large buses, is even bigger than VIVA's 250-bus barn that cost similar, and also complete full maintenance facilities, not just storage. The current facilities won't support a doubling of Hamilton bus service set out in the 10-year Rapid Ready plan.

Hamilton has built up a huge transit deficit, and need an anchor high-order mass transit network to begin, pronto -- alongside with a major bus expansion that could be help kickstarted by the new $150M bus barn (with the $36M spending deadline of spring 2018 (federally mandated deadline) to indirectly help accelerate the 10-Year Rapid Ready along.

I expect the 10-Year Rapid Ready plan to pick up pace simultaneously with LRT.

Comment edited by mdrejhon on 2016-08-25 10:40:18