Raise the Hammer

Ted McMeekan tweeted this morning (6March) "Look forward to any 'update' on city transit vision. Prov. Budget pending so getting any amended request for $$'s should happen quickly."

I understand the Mayor wanting to keep an election promise, but doesn't that put a large chunk of money at risk?

Comment edited by Core-B on 2015-03-06 11:05:24

This is what I was afraid of.

Sorry if I sound confused because I am. I thought Fred was in favour of LRT yet he wants to delay via a citizen panel when funding announcement appears imminent. The additional 300 million according to Chris Murray (at council) should not be a surprise to the Province. They have been aware of this for a couple of years.

I'm not usually an optimistic guy but are both requests really out of the question?

what's with the 'citizen' wording? Are municipalities some kind of nation state? Seems to me the residents of a municipality are 'residents' and there's no need to bring their passport into this. Maybe someone's gotten the civitas confused with the city??

We do it to ourselves, that's why is really hurts. I was at the Useless Knowledge Society event and thought the greatest moment was during the slide show from Waterloo where the presenter said we need strong leadership. Raucous laughter ensued so much that Mayor Fred turned around looking shocked and hurt. As though he was sayin "I'm right here guys!" Ryan. What is his end game?

The same term is usually applied to both concepts. "Citizen" is a common phrase for a resident of a city, and not merely a legal term of art applied to a passport holder of a nation state.

Just got back from the GIC session at City Hall. Wasn't able to stay past 3 hours, but I suspect it's going to be long afternoon for all concerned; the whole thing began with the announcement that there wouldn't be an actual 'presentation'...at which point the hue and cry went up... Was funny, really. Even 'touching' to see so many concerned Councillors. (In the end, a presentation was made.)

With his opening 'salvo' at the mic, Mayor Eisenberger made it perfectly clear that he was loaded for bear for the actual 'debate' to be held after the Q&A.

Looking forward to viewing the rest of the proceedings.

Fred should know by now he's not the poster child for strong leadership.

"- including a $200 million bus mansion -

I can understand the frustration that births your derision here, Ryan, but seriously; you need to refer to what Mr. Dixon said today at the GIC explaining why the cost had increased 8-fold from the original $25 million, what the Wentworth Street facility is currently being used for, and why it's necessary to have, what you've referred to here as a 'bus mansion'.

To be honest, considering how precise you normally are in almost all instances, this phrasing is a little out of character...more befitting some commenters' habits.

Must be nice to naively believe what you hear from city staff.

Pretentious. Someone had to say it...

If more people understood what you do Hamilton won't be getting screwed by itself. Trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel on what transpired here today. Sadly, it would have to be from the Province saving us from ourselves (or our mostly vision-less councillors). Not likely.

I would suggest to understand we look no further than our Shadow Mayor who managed to stump for a return to better GO service as a priority ... this time giving him a station and service in his neck of the woods. How's that for something to run on next election?

Comment edited by RobF on 2015-03-06 23:27:34

I'm about ready to let LRT go, in the short term, and improve the situation's we have now, which is life with buses. Can we deal with better headways on the Mountain, for example? Could we have more bus shelters per stop? Could there be some way of contacting the H.S.R. without having a cellular telephone--a toll-free number and directions to the nearest pay-phone, perhaps? What about, as at the MacNab and Limeridge Mall terminals, some electronic count-down for the next bus, a sign that's solar-powered like a construction sign?

And then, the fare increases.... How are they to lead to higher ridership? What about continual pressure on the city's budget so as to divert the federal gas tax revenue, that's supposed to go toward public transit, toward that end and not toward the endless road infrastructure of sprawl?

Could we stop thinking so far ahead of the way to polish the magical bullet and deal with issues that sit in front of us now as well as ways to make those issues more amenable to living a human life in this city? Could I ask any more questions? Ai yi yi.

LRT phase 1 on the B-Line will free up 18 buses for use elsewhere. Barely less than the 25 we apparently need to spend $300 million for.

I would be on board for doing both at the same time. York Region received $1.4 billion from Metrolinx. Why can't we ask for $1.1?

All the other things - real time data/apps/transit lanes/signal priority can be done now. Council refuses to give up an inch of car infrastructure or priority and the HSR is happy to scotch tape PDF's on street poles all over town.

That's just a symptom of the backwards city we live in. Nothing to do with these funding requests.

What is his end game?

Be Fred. And get re-elected?

He is who he is ... he wasn't a communicator in his first term from what I gather, nor did he manage to build a strong enough coalition of public support or council support to move his agenda. Fred 2.0 seems to be more like Fred 1.1 ... same Fred with a few maintenance patches to his firmware. Unless he can shift course and reverse his shift to irrelevance he's on the path to bricking entirely as mayor. That would be Bratina the sequel with a "nicer", more thoughtful person in the chair.

Or, maybe the Hamilton governance model is simply broken and all but a few people would find it impossible to manage or steer out of managing decline in the lower city and sprawling growth at the edges.

Whatever the case, the Council is divided and dysfunctional on key issues and no amount of Useful Knowledge will overcome differences if people don't see Hamilton's problems from a common set of facts. Knowledge is power, but power is also knowledge ... power is what determines what counts as knowledge, at least in the short run. This is the problem ... as a city we don't see problems as shared, and we don't agree on the basic facts or parameters of debate.

Comment edited by RobF on 2015-03-07 10:55:21

LRT is not a short term project. It will probably take 7-10 years to build from the time it is ok'd and funded. If Hamilton 's 10 year plan is to be ready for LRT, we need to plan for LRT to be ready at the end of it.

LRT phase 1 on the B-Line will free up 18 buses for use elsewhere. Barely less than the 25 we apparently need to spend $300 million for.

In 5-10 years when it is completed --- in the mean time we'll still need those buses to contribute to increased ridership.

And the refrain from the right Is "We can't afford it". No amount of evidence seems enough to sway this train of thought.

You JustIs a loquacious ignoramus, overachieved in being an idiot.