Raise the Hammer

Nothing can stop us now!

Ward 2 Councillor Bob Bratina, who sits on the GO Transit board of directors, says multiple variables, such as a teetering economy that could see fewer commuters heading to work, make specific timelines difficult to nail down. "It may be a little soon, it's hard to say, but I would say that's a good working date," he said of the 2013 timeline. Bratina said the extra trains will be added in stages. The new trains will run from LIUNA Station on James Street North when the $3-million platform facility there is complete in 2010.

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/113100--more-trains-in-go-plan

So we're going to "susupend all activities" relating to LRT (mostly study) so that we can have time to study it?

I'm trying (very hard) to remain optimistic. At some point, you have to say, "that's a good amount of research, let's summarize it and try to draw some conclusions."

Hopefully (doubtfully), that's all this is.

Looks to me that LRT just died. Is that what I just read? As in, "Do enough to fufill our current obligations, so we can put this to bed without any exposure to the City."

well, it's only temporarily dead. As we saw during the previous mayoral term - there are leaders out there who want to bring Hamilton to it's full potential. We'll have to wait 3 and a half years for the chance to vote some of them into office.

By then we'll be hip-deep in a Conservative government which, while they may live up to existing promises for LRT, obviously won't be expanding the program, especially not to a leftist bastion like Hamilton.

We need to aggressively pursue this? Perhaps Mr Murray hasn't been getting the regular updates in the mail from GO/Metrolinx that I have on the progress of GO expansion, but it seems to be happening without anyone in Hamilton aggressively pursuing it. Who was it in one of these posts who said something about pursuing a goal that will be achieved either way to create the appearance of success?

That's it folks, we're getting the bums rush.

Bastards.

I'll have more to say on this subject I'm sure, but for now: this is outrageous.

well, that gives Metrolinx their 'out'. They can yank LRT funding from us now due to 'no leadership at the local level'. And they are correct.

In my opinion, new GO stations providing all day service is much more desirable for the city to pursue than LRT. A new station at the proposed James St. North location would breathe new life into the area, providing reason to kick start full out urban renewal on one of downtowns main corridors.

This the ole divide and conquer. It is not--NOT--a decision between GO and LRT.

I'm sure the Spec will have a field day with this. Maybe Dreschel will even write something up.

The cherry will be a 2,000-car parking lot on James North.

http://www.raisethehammer.org/comment/64021

Does the Appleby numbers include the capacity they have just doubled? Their new lot adjacent to the existing one, is to open in the fall.

Those numbers were pulled before the project details of the latest Appleby work was revealed. Appleby's parking capacity will be 3,072 by year-end: 1,217 in the north lot, 1,205 in the south lot and the soon-to-be-unveiled 650 space parking lot on the east side.

For the six stops at the west end of the Lakeshore line, station capacity is around 2,400 parking spots. For the six stops at the east end, it's around 1,900.

... And in case it's not totally obvious, those parking numbers are averages, not totals.

Isn't this like biting the hand that feeds us?

We just threw $3 million of provincial taxpayers' money out the window. I hope Metrolinx threatens to sue the City and suspends discussion of All-Day GO until we've done a proper study of LRT like Council unanimously voted for.

Also from July 15:

City Master Plan Wins Award

The City of Mississauga has won an award for its work on the Hurontario/Main Street Corridor Master Plan.
The award was given to planners from Mississauga and the City of Brampton by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) at the organization's annual conference in St. John's, Newfoundland on Monday. The award was in the category of Transportation and Infrastructure.

"It's a great honour for us to be recognized by our national planning colleagues for this fantastic city-building initiative," said Ed Sajecki, the City's commissioner of planning and building. "This master plan is a key element for achieving many of the aims of Mississauga's Strategic Plan and new Official Plan and will help us to serve the people of Mississauga and Brampton by connecting our communities to each other and to transit systems that serve communities across the region."

The key feature of the plan is the construction of light-rail transit (LRT) that will stretch from the waterfront in Port Credit to the City Centre and downtown Brampton. The 20-kilometre route will have up to 32 stations.

It's touted as a way to reduce commute times and improve connections to GO Transit and the Bus Rapid Transit line, which is currently under construction.

In addition to the LRT, the plan includes the potential for residential and commercial development as well as job creation.

http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/1043985--city-master-plan-wins-award

in 10 years Mississuaga will look more like a real city than us. Amazing how we try to copy them all these years during their sprawl madness, and now that they are realizing their errors and becoming urban-focused, Hamilton decides to ignore them and keep plodding ahead with 1950's planning.

what this will leave us with is four new trains coming to Liuna Station. The bus will still be faster outside of rush hour, the trains will still take 1:15 and packed like sardines. I'm a Go commuter and All-day Go means nothing for me.

I would also argue that personally, the Hunter station is more convenient because of the number of major east/west buses that transfer people to and from the station, as well as it's closeness in proximately to the MacNab St bus terminal.

We do need a station people can park at no doubt, but the current station/bus connections/every other train in the evenings comes into Hamilton scenerio, serves many of us very well today.

I think GO communters need to make these points known. The bus service isn't all that bad and in some ways, is even preferred. The immediate benefits of LRT to me, would seem far greater than all day GO service. For one, we have GO service all day - just in a bit of a round-about way outside of the rush hour time frame.

Although I guess you could counter-argue as well that we have bus service within the city, adding internal rail service to replace bus transit would do so much more for this city and across it, than replacing bus service for rail service in and out of Hamilton.

With the former, at least the train will finally pass through Hamilton. A stop(s), can be added at any time although I agree with others, I am not sure why this is a one or the other scenerio? Imagine if we could have both in time for the 2015 games. How would that set us up on the world stage as a city with a strong inter-city train service and a promising new internal service.

Comment edited by lawrence on 2011-07-18 16:49:53

Agreed.

Bus is the way to get to Union Station during the day, unless there is a highway/weather issue you know about before leaving home.

Isn't Murray the guy who, along with his staff, worked through the night over months to help us figure out how to spend $150 million to re-build half a stadium, but who now says we should stop working on LRT because.....?

This is a disgrace. All day GO service is a separate file. It's not the only one. I'm all for GO service to Hamilton, but not at the expense of even studying LRT details. In my view, this is an example of Bratina's inability to multi-task. Bob "One-Thing-At-A-Time" Bratina is showing us just how narrow his thinking really is.

I guess this is how you deal with clamour.

actually, this is platform schmatform to a tee.

I'll be the first to say, all day GO Rail access is needed. I loathe having to get onto that short, cramped bus ride to Aldershot, only to then miss the transfer to head to Toronto and be left waiting 45 minutes, and the express bus to Union is basically taking the traffic nightmare of driving to Toronto and compounding it five times over. Frankly, I wish they would run alternate trains to Hunter St and LIUNA, but that's another can of worms.

I'm sure this story is going to develop, it seems poorly worded right now. Are they killing LRT?, are they saying "Anything that's not essential to the study of LRT is getting halted" are they saying "Look, city staff is swapped with HECFI, Stadium, LRT, GO Transit and various developments in the core that we are overloaded?". In either case though, in reeks of unprofessionalism.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2011-07-18 17:08:37

If you're taking the train-meet to Aldershot and then onwards to Union, you're doing it wrong.

If you want to use an intermediary stop (Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, West Toronto) then of course you have to do that.

Understand that the express bus to Union is not compounding the traffic problem... That's ~50 people in the space of 2 cars... Look around - see any other vehicles with more than 1 person in them. Didn't think so. Buses are better than single passenger vehicles.

I take the GO train and/or bus everyday to Toronto, and I don't think all day GO train service is a priority. In my experience the express bus to/from union is FASTER than the GO train at all times of the day except rush hour.

I do have real concerns about running all day train sevice out of Jame St., because the proposals I've read suggest we'd keep rush hour service and bus service at hunter, and funnell allt he other daily trips to James St., which I think risks making things extremely difficult for people trying to get to Toronto.

Essentially every passenger heading to Toronto durin gthe day will have to decide, do I take the bus form Hunter Street, or the train from James St? Which will get there faster/more comfortably today? If you miss one, you don't even have the option of going to the other unless you're going to travel between stations somehow (and my guess is the city is going to do a poor job integrating transit between the two (or three) points. Not to mention the fact that someone missing the last rush hour train at hunter would be forced to go to James St. to take the next train.

I also remain very concerned about the real possibility that somewhere down the line they'll decide to cancel the QEW express service because we have all day GO train service, and the bus becomes redundent. This would be a major error in my opinion, and increase travel times significantly for no material gain, as well as essentially reduce the traffic coming out of the Hunter St. stations drastically.

I completely disagree. The Bus system speed is completely dependent on the traffic conditions of the 403/QEW, which are often less then stellar and a much bigger gamble then the train. For me, there is no question between taking the Express Bus or the train. I will take the train every time.

The train seldom experiences major delays and has the potential to be electrified, increasing the speed even more. It's more environmentally friendly then the buses as well. I'd like to see the Hunter St. terminal get more volume, and the city needs to scream at CP/CN to make that happen, but failing anything running a shuttle bus from Hunter to Liuna station 5 minutes after the train leaves either station is a simple way to link both stations. That and failing anything opening up Hunter to more Greyhound traffic is also an option.

I'm sorry - did you just say "The train seldom experiences major delays"?

Dude.

You've obviously never been a GO hostage. I once spent 3 hours on a train because there was a tree branch across the tracks and they had to get a crew out to remedy the situation. A friend of mine spent 4+ hours on a train because "the passengers are witnesses" -- a person at the end of their rope had jumped, a horrible thing for them and for the train engineer -- but does someone sitting on the upper deck at 5 cars back in an aisle seat really represent a material witness?

Also - ever noticed how it takes 20 minutes to get from Union to Clarkson, 35 minutes to get from Clarkson to Aldershot and 20 minutes to get from Aldershot to Hamilton GO Centre? I spend the time from 5:20 - 5:43 gnashing my teeth because I'm pretty certain that a diseased squirrel is beating the train on the run in.

How about instead of electrification, we just go ahead and make the tracks true enough to permit operation at the 120+km/h that the new engines are capable of... how bout that.

Nothing I've seen from Metrolinx/GO indicates that the final leg to Hunter Street will be electrified, as GO doesn't own the lines, and runs very few trains there. It doesn't make sense for them to spend the money to electrify to hunter. Electrifying along James St. and out to Niagara Falls though, is involved in most long term plans. Although, I'll point out that electrification is quite some time away (like 10 years plus).

I also agree with Joey Coleman's comment below, that in the best of circumstances I've had the bus get me into Hamilton in 50 minutes, whereas the train always takes at least 1:15, and longer if it's not partially express.

Further to that, see page 13 of the electrification study, which shows the option that Metrolinx Staff proposed, and the Board accepted:

http://www.gotransit.com/estudy/en/current_study/docs/ElectrificationStaffReportJanuary26.pdf

It shows electric to James St. (diesel further east), and diesel to Hunter.

The 403 Express is experiencing much improve time performance since the opening of the HOV.

The last three times I've taken the 403 express leaving Hamilton at 6:00am

52 minutes to Union 64 minutes to Union 56 minutes to Union

I agree with trains alternating between Hunter and Liuna when this eventual does all happen.

Commenting anonymously....

My wife and I just bought a house in Hamilton YESTERDAY and proximity to Main / LRT was a significant portion of our decision.

All day go service is already a part of Hamilton... we are trading buses every 20 mins for trains once an hour and we arent even going to use the station we already paid millions to renovate.

Time for the Mayor to open his ears to the citizens... I'm not some random developer... I'm just one person, but there are a lot of us.

I almost did this a couple of years ago on Strathcona between King and Main. I thought 'these 1-way freeways will be replaced with 2-way streets and LRT soon enough'. Then I snapped out of it and remembered what city I live in.

You used LRT as a main point? That was foolish. You'll learn quickly not to do anything in Hamilton based on a proposal, concept, or promise.

Not as a main point, as a significant point.

Because transit matters to me -- I'm a Toronto commuter -- it will always be a significant point.

IF the city continues down it's normal path and screws up by the numbers, I've got a really nice house that is a short walk from regular service (1/4 block) and a slightly longer walk (2 blocks) from express service.

IF the city pulls it's head out of it's ass, not only will my transit in the morning and afternoon suck so much less, but my kids will enjoy easy access to the city and might even stay home and attend Mohawk/McMaster as a result and that property is going to sky rocket.

I don't regret buying a house in Hamilton, but I do regret the fact that I may have to wait for a Mayor who actually cares about the city to be elected.

I think you just missed him...

Comment edited by administrator Ryan on 2011-08-08 22:25:14

So how's Carol working out, anyway?

I'm sure it feels so much better just to sit at home and throw stones at anyone with an actual vision for the city.

Thanks for your coming out, but the team's already been picked.

Allegedly:

The vision, mission and goals of the City of Hamilton will be guided by 10 core values.

Fiscal Accountability: to increase the efficiency of our city government through fiscal responsibility and prudence

Leadership: in our thinking and in our actions; encouraging individual and team initiatives that exceed expectations, and advocating what we believe in

Innovation: to think broadly and long-term; to balance both city-wide and neighbourhood responsibilities; to do more with limited resources

Integrity: to demonstrate honesty and sincerity in all of our dealings, upholding only the highest ethical principles; to provide open and transparent communications to create informed opinion

Respect: for the needs of all residents, for all viewpoints, and for the diversity of our community

Compassion: sensitivity to, and meeting the requirements of all residents with special needs and interests, and those less fortunate

Commitment: to fulfilling the vision and goals of the city

Teamwork:working in full cooperation and a spirit of collegiality with staff, Council, residents, businesses and external partners

Sustainability: to contribute to a balanced community, economy and environment; to minimize the footprint of our activities and to do no harm

Excellence: in our service delivery, through a quality workforce; and to show pride in our efforts and the community in which we live and work.


http://www.hamilton.ca/CultureandRecreation/CommunitySpecialEvents/Mission_Goals_Values_Vision.htm

AND....

Council, the Mayor and Chris Murray are all moaning that they don't have enough information to make any decisions, and question why there are those who are pushing them to show support for LRT.

So, rather than seek for more information, they choose to seek less information.

I have been told by many that eventually I will be impressed with Chris Murray. I've waited. I'm not. He's like a Deputy Minister without the personality. Speaking of which, many people seem to have heard he might be seeking a job with the province. True?

Collins and Merulla seem like they'd be happy to upgrade their office chairs as well.

Maybe we can swap Murray to Burlington for Jim Harnum?

http://www.900chml.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocalGeneral/Story.aspx?ID=1462150

Murray is a job hopper. He's always looking for more power / greener pastures.

Edited: because I can't figure out how HTML works on this site.

Comment edited by shaddupsevenup on 2011-07-19 07:18:01

See this is my concern, especially with Chris Murray, that staff/council has too much on their plate right now.

You have to consider, we have the Stadium Project, the Federal Building, Randle Reef, the Velodrome, the HECFI Debacle, All Day GO, LRT, M.I.P., McMaster's new facility, West Harbour Lands, U.S. Steel Lockout, the Connaught, the Lister restoration/city office move. That's a lot of stuff to manage, and this may be Murray trying to say "Look enough's enough, some of this is getting dropped." but doesn't want to say it, because he's afraid he'll look incompetent.

Add that to the fact Bratina has more flip-flops then Sauble Beach does on the Civic, it makes for frustration.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2011-07-18 18:00:10

" Speaking of which, many people seem to have heard he might be seeking a job with the province. True?"

One can hope. But then again the devil you know...........

Oh god, just imagine it... City Manager Peggy Chapman.

Oh, for heaven's sakes.

Why can't we have nice things in this city?

I need this on a tshirt.

The article on this has disappeared from The Spec's website.

Found it again; http://www.thespec.com/news/local/articl...

Just finding it was harder.

This article seems to make a lot more sense and clarifies things quite a bit more. It's basically saying "Alright, wrap up the studying that we've done on LRT and present it to council/metrolinx, otherwise we are going to be beyond our study date and we'll be out 3 million. I'm suspending it until we hear what Metrolinx and council thinks. Everyone else, you're heading out to fight the GO transit front and get that moving." with Bratina saying "I want GO before we talk LRT" which isn't a wholly unreasonable stance to take. It's just a confusing way to put it from what I can see.

Comment edited by -Hammer- on 2011-07-18 21:18:03

Ok enough is enough It's time to make our voices heard. We need to remind council who they work for. We elected them to govern now but also keep an eye on the future. The LRT is potential spark that could start the redevelopment of whole city not just the core. All day GO is a given just sit and wait it will come. You are not going to hear from the developers until the city makes this a reality. If I am sinking my money into this I am not going to show my hand until its time. If you build it they will come. It has been proven time and time again do we have to put these guys on a plane and show

As for all-day GO service - the point isn't simply to get people to/from union faster. What about people who want to take a train up to Oakville, or down to Niagara? We need to be a point on this network, not just run express buses to the nearest ones. All-day GO service was somewhat visionary a decade ago, and has been a policy of the last two (at least?) mayors, as well as a policy of GO itself. I think I speak for Hamilton when I say, GET IT DONE YESTERDAY.

I really don't see how all-day-GO competes with LRT. If anything, it's the very same issue on a larger scale. In both cases - rail is simply a cheaper, higher-capacity option in the long run.

GO needs the HSR, and the HSR needs GO. How are all these people going to get to the GO station (at James or Hunter)? How are all the newcomers to a city arriving without cars going to get around? You don't do GO any favours by kneecapping the network expansion at a local level.

Exactly Undustrial. Great point! Just as importantly, it would serve people who want to visit Hamilton from Niagara or from Oakville.

Ok enough is enough It's time to make our voices heard. We need to remind council who they work for. We elected them to govern now but also keep an eye on the future. The LRT is potential spark that could start the redevelopment of whole city not just the core. All day GO is a given just sit and wait it will come. You are not going to hear from the developers until the city makes this a reality. If I am sinking my money into this I am not going to show my hand until its time. If you build it they will come. It has been proven time and time again do we have to put these guys on a plane and show them. Do we really need to draw you a picture? I for one am tired of shortsighted career politicians who refuse to see past the end of their nose. If we really want this than we need to send a very clear loud msg that they have no chance of being misunderstood. We elected you to lead not follow.

I never thought I'd say this but...I'm moving to Mississauga!! Adios suckazzzz!

I've gone from emails to phone calls - see if that makes any difference.

I'm so sick of the lack of vision... of the "leave it to others in the future".

Time to step up - get some big brass ones and make this city something awesome.

Heh. Maybe that's it.

Hamilton needs a set of Truck Nutz.

We should start mailing truck nutz to city hall.

So many people on RTH are furious about trucks driving through downtown Hamilton rather than going around the city via Burlington St. Why wouldn't those same people be as passionate about using Liuna station so the buses wouldn't have to drive through downtown either?

Could have something to do with the cargo each vehicle carries. One carries cargo through downtown because the highways are slower than Main St, the other carries cargo to and from downtown to facilitate the spending/earning of money in the area.

Other than that quibble, there really isn't much of a difference, is there?

Yup.. really not much of a difference at all. I believe that the overwhelming majority, if not all of the truck traffic seen within Downtown Hamilton has an origin or destination within Hamilton (most likely near Burlington St.). Given that, there is even less difference between the two.

When a huge construction project like this is underway, would a request to stop all works hurt the momentum of all the team and their workers? Perhaps he had sensed that the project was not going as planned, and decided that the people in charge needed to review and make last minute adjustments to keep the project on track.