Comment 27659

By Mr. Meister (anonymous) | Posted December 01, 2008 at 22:57:46

Talk about not doing the research. The “LRT” in Kenosha is in fact commuter service to Chicago 50 miles south and limited service streetcars.

Salt Lake City metropolitan area has a population of over a million. The light rail is again commuter service similar to GO trains servicing Toronto.

New Orleans has street cars some of which are a so old they have become a tourist attraction. Not particularly rapid though. And the best part again the metropolitan area has a population well over a million and how many more millions of tourists.

Newark is 5 miles from Manhattan and has an area of 62 square km. and the light rail is commuter trains to NYC.

Buffalo metro area has a population over a million and 10 KM of rail.

St. Louis metro has a population of almost 3 million. You could not have expected anybody to believe that Hamilton was almost twice as populous as the gateway to the west. Could you? Really?

Minneapolis’s 19 km of light rail actually connects to 3 cities part of a 3million population area.

Sacramento area has a population of almost 3million.

Portland area again has a population of almost 3 million.

On and on it goes, you’re misrepresenting the truth and twisting reality. Did you really expect anybody to believe that St. Louis was smaller than Hamilton. All of the places you talk about have a couple of things in common. None of the places on your list has a LRT servicing a population as small as ours. We already have a commuter rail link in Hamilton why aren’t there more trains running out of it? If you want to run more trains from Hamilton to Toronto I’m all for it. Toronto is after all the big metropolitan area around here. Most of the places you mention are the major urban centre in the area (Ottawa or Salt Lake City) or the few that are not are suburbs and you are talking about a commuter line to a big metropolitan area(Kenosha to Chicago). Neither case is pertinent here. Hamilton does not need that kind of commuter service to its downtown. Commuter service from Hamilton to Toronto exists and enlarging it actually makes some sense.

All of these transit lines lose money. Why do you refuse to accept the real input of cars and driving into the economy? If cars and driving were somehow stopped our economy would crumble. Just the taxes on gasoline is $Billions. Then add all the indirect taxes and fees you cannot even count that high. Do not insult all of us by trying to get anybody to believe your ludicrous statement that roads are subsidized. Cars, Gas and Driving provide the taxes and fees that you want to waste.

Everything is in place for cars and pedestrians to co-exist the same system of sidewalks and lights used all over the world. All anybody has to do is use a tiny bit of common sense but then it’s not very common is it? I believe your lack of it is directly responsible for your pie in the sky arguments. Why are you trying to re-invent the wheel? Sidewalks and lights and crossings are used all over the world because they work.
You mention multi east west routes across Hamilton but driving between Mac and Eastgate (the proposed LRT route) the best option is King/Main St. Across the bridge is a major detour, up the hill and back down is a lot of extra mileage and mountain access frustration too.

LRT is a money losing, unnecessary, unrealistic option. You trying to compare Hamilton’s transit needs with St. Louis’s shows the desperation and silliness of your argument. It also speaks to the hopelessness of trying to show you some reality. You will keep believing your pie in the sky dreams no matter what and hopefully saner minds will continue to prevail. I’ve said my piece and this is the end of my contribution. I leave with a ready chuckle for the rest of my days. I will always laugh at you trying to compare small St. Louis to big Hamilton.

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