Comment 29277

By arienc (registered) | Posted March 03, 2009 at 22:33:46

First of all A Smith...if you think that somehow having more GO train service means that Hamilton is a "beggar", there's no other explanation other than that you are high on crack. Would you say the same of Ajax or Burlington?

Furthermore, transit has enormous value. Think about the alternative for many of Hamilton's commuters to get to jobs in Toronto, all around the same time each day. The added vehicles on our roadway system would make that commute far mor eof a nightmare than it is today. In your ideal "business is everything" world, those who drive the QEW would be more than willing to pay extra tolls just to divert some of the traffic off of the road and onto transit.

It's important to note that many of the people who earn a living in Toronto's downtown business district have chosen to make their home in Hamilton. Convenient transit is one thing that makes Hamilton livable for those individuals. This convenience is what drives up market prices for homes in the city. GO Transit and LRT will do far more to boost property values in the city than even a zero property tax rate could. Look at Portland for an example - one of the US cities that has suffered least from the real estate / credit crisis.

The foundation of real estate value - Location, Location, Location - is nearly 100% driven by access to services which are provided and paid for by the public. Not by begging, but by pooling their resources together to build and maintain what is needed for the community.

"First they built the road, then they built the town. That's why we're still driving around and around, and all we see. Are kids in buses. Longing to be free." - Wasted Hours, The Arcade Fire

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