Rapid Transit

[fuller]

Does anyone else think that Murray is about to jump ship?

The recent curious activity around LRT planning could just be some repositioning, in advance of an anticipated change of government.

Or could it be that he's clearing off his desk in advance of leaving?

[SteelTown]

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-back-on-track


‘Just looking to do the right thing’, Farr wants LRT back on track

Farr is introducing a notice of motion Thursday that asks council to “reaffirm its position in support of pursuing a full investigation of LRT” and to pursue more funding from Metrolinx, the regional transportation agency.

The move comes after weeks of dialogue between the city, the media and the community about the fate of LRT in Hamilton that began when city manager Chris Murray sent an email to council signalling a move away from pursuing LRT.

Farr said the public outcry that followed “has not gone unnoticed.”

“I’m really reinforcing and reaffirming. I’m not trying to stir things up — I’m merely trying to keep the momentum going.”

.........

Farr and McHattie first began talking about LRT when they were brainstorming about phasing in the proposed B-Line. That line will run 13.4 kilometres — between McMaster University and Eastgate Square.

McHattie and Farr say the line could be phased in, with the first stretch running from McMaster to downtown.

“It’s a pretty significant piece of the B-Line,” Farr said. “Being pro-LRT, why would we not take an initiative like this?”

[SteelTown]

Wonder if B-Line LRT from McMaster to downtown could be done before the 2015 Pan Am Games.

[MalcolmTucker]

All approvals would need to be in place and shovels in the ground for early next spring. Pretty unlikely given there isn't even a basic funding pledge yet.

[SteelTown]

McMaster to Downtown is about 2.5km or about 18% of the total proposed B-Line LRT. I think we could get 2.5km done within 4 years.

I think Athens just barely got their tram line done before the Olympics and that was 27km and done within two years.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

McMaster to Downtown is about 2.5km or about 18% of the total proposed B-Line LRT. I think we could get 2.5km done within 4 years.

I think Athens just barely got their tram line done before the Olympics and that was 27km and done within two years.

The most complicated parts aren't scalable, like the maintenance and operations centre. You still need all the same approvals to be able to build a substation and tap the grid for power. And finally, you would need an approved environmental assessment along with a study that concludes phasing won't lead to significant cost growth beyond the growth in benefits of actually having the part of the line done in time.

Phasing also raises the significant possibility that the first phase would be the last after parochial politicians and reactionary citizens and business groups react to the loss of traffic lanes within the city.

[markbarbera]

Excellent points, Malcolm. It's been understood for some time now that the timeline for LRT completion prior to 2015 Pan Am Games is not possible. Jill Stephen herself stated this last November. A phased-in approach to LRT doesn't change the fact that construction couldn't be completed in time for the Games.

To quote Jill Stephen from that article:

Jill Stephen, director of rapid transit with the city's public works department, says there is simply too much planning, design, engineering, environmental study and construction work to complete and senior officials did not want roads torn up during the Games.

“A lot of things have to align and we want to make sure we're doing it properly and not rushing to get it done.

“This is a better and more responsible way to approach it.”

The goal will now be to have all the preliminary work finished so that shovels can go in the ground immediately after the Games finish.

The Pan Ams and their para-games component conclude in mid-August.

“This shouldn't be seen as a lack of urgency on our part or that we're putting less importance on this. It's just better for the project,” Stephen said.

“Pushing it forward at the wrong time doesn't make for success.”

as reported by Meredith MacLeod, Nov 5, 2010 thespec.com
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...s-before-games

If the purpose is to serve Pan Am facilities, having LRT from Mac to downtown does not meet this goal anyway, seeing as the stadium is another four kilometres east of downtown. Besides, the goal of TO2015 would be to ensure there is sufficient transportation infrastructure that directly links the Pan Am athelete's village and all the event sites. Given that these sites are stretched across several regions in southern Ontario, the focus for ensuring proper connecting transit for the 2015 Games should be on enhancing GO Transit services that connect Hamilton, Niagara and the GTA.

Post-script observation, Jill Stephen's own words last November: "Pushing it (LRT) forward at the wrong time doesn't make for success"

[SteelTown]

Murray clarifies city’s position on LRT

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...osition-on-lrt


Hamilton is still fully committed to light rail transit, says Hamilton’s top bureaucrat — even if work on the project is slowing down.

Speaking for the first time since sending a much-discussed email about LRT several weeks ago, City Manager Chris Murray assured council Thursday that the city is still on board.

“The way that I think my email was interpreted — and unfortunately, I wasn’t here to explain it several weeks ago — it should have been interpreted as we are still absolutely committed to investigating the feasibility of rapid transit,” Murray said.

In the July email, Murray told senior staff to do only the LRT work required by the province, which gave $3 million to the city to study and plan the project. At the same time, more staff and resources were directed toward aggressively pursuing all-day GO service from Toronto.

“This decision will give the Senior Management Team an opportunity to review the current work plans, evaluate the results, and report back to Council with a detailed scope of work needed in order to live up to our obligation under our agreement,” the email reads. “It will also help us to get a clear picture of the financial implications of the LRT initiative.”

Murray’s comments to council mark the first time he has publicly reaffirmed the city’s commitment to LRT. While the July email praises the city staff’s work on LRT, it does not specifically affirm the city’s commitment to LRT.

Murray was prompted to speak when Councillor Jason Farr introduced a notice of motion that asks council to “reaffirm its position in support of pursuing a full investigation of LRT and to pursue more funding from Metrolinx, the regional transportation agency.”

Farr said he worked on the motion along with Councillor Brian McHattie after Murray’s email prompted an uproar from the community.

Farr’s notice of motion prompted several questions from councillors Thursday, including inquiries about how Murray’s email will affect the number of staff dedicated to LRT.

Gerry Davis, general manager of public works, told councillors it will be the end of the year before city staff working on LRT will be sent back to their departments. He did not mention to council how many staff would remain dedicated to working on LRT after that time.

Later, Davis confirmed in an interview that only one staff member will remain devoted full-time to the LRT file.

After the meeting, Murray said the province shouldn’t be interpreting disinterest in LRT “based on a two-paragraph memo from myself.”

“You’re going to see our commitment through the report that’s coming, hopefully next month,” Murray said. “It will be really clear as to what we understand the cost to be, what we understand the benefits to be, and what options we have for moving forward.”

Murray also said the email was not intended to signal a move away from LRT.

“I would suggest reading the email again. Understand that it said that we were going to finish the work that we were asked to finish,” he said. “How that gets interpreted as not being committed to LRT — I guess that’s for you to decide.”

[thistleclub]

Two weeks left to apply for a job as GO’s Director of Transportation for the 2015 Games.

[thompsdk]

The display panels are up from last week's PIC regarding the routing of the LRT.

Good to see First Place back as a station. Some renderings had it missing.

Mary St still shown as one-way. Why not convert it to 2-way with development at the Knitting Mills and the old Century Theatre on taps?

Comment sheets also available, though awkwardly in a PDF....

[SteelTown]

Video: Waterfront and transit 'critical' to Hamilton's future

Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011 8:42AM EDT

Nick Bontis, associate professor of strategy at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business, explains why waterfront revilatization and transportation infrastructure are the keys to its economic future.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2140681/

[thistleclub]

Random telephone survey to inform long-range planning and improvement of Hamilton's roads and transit services.


Public Works press release:

Major Transportation Survey To Begin In Hamilton

HAMILTON, ON – August 31st, 2011 – Beginning Tuesday, September 6th, a major transportation survey will begin in Hamilton, the GTA and adjacent areas to help municipalities and the Ministry of Transportation meet their future needs for roads and transit services. The survey, called Transportation Tomorrow Survey, is being conducted by the University of Toronto’s Data Management Group on behalf of the Ministry of Transportation and participating municipalities. Hamilton is one of 20 regional, county, and local municipal governments that are participating in the survey of more than 150,000 households.

The first phase of the survey will take place in the fall of 2011 and the second phase will begin in the fall of 2012. The survey will consist of telephone interviews of a randomly selected sample of households.

“The valuable input we receive from Hamilton citizens through this survey will be used to help shape Hamilton’s future transportation programs and services,” said Alan Kirkpatrick, Manager of Transportation Planning for the City of Hamilton.

The purpose of the survey is to collect information on the travel habits of residents and provide a database for long-range planning and improvement of transportation facilities. All information collected will be kept confidential and cannot be traced back to an individual household.

This is the sixth Transportation Tomorrow Survey. It has been conducted every five years since 1986 and City of Hamilton has participated in all of these surveys. The City of Hamilton uses this information for all major transportation studies including the Hamilton Transportation Master Plan which was completed in 2007. Once this survey is completed, the results will be collated and released in early 2013.

[SteelTown]

Bob Bratina is on the Bill Kelly show, surprise surprise, and just said "LRT is not a priority."

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Video: Waterfront and transit 'critical' to Hamilton's future

Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011 8:42AM EDT

Nick Bontis, associate professor of strategy at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business, explains why waterfront revilatization and transportation infrastructure are the keys to its economic future.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2140681/

I had to really concentrate on what he was saying because I kept getting distracted by the raccoon tan he was sporting.

[mattgrande]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Bob Bratina is on the Bill Kelly show, surprise surprise, and just said "LRT is not a priority."

[SteelTown]

Chances of LRT one in a million?

http://www.thespec.com/news/business...e-in-a-million

Mayor Bob Bratina says light rail transit will be a serious option for Hamilton if a million people move to the city over the next five years.

Speaking on CHML earlier this week, Bratina said LRT “is not a priority,” echoing a sentiment he’s expressed before and then backed away from. Bratina again said all-day GO train service is the city’s priority.

“We’ve spent a lot of time and, frankly, money … to get to a point where we still don’t know what the component for the city taxpayer will be (for LRT). And that’s disturbing because we should know early on, OK, if we’re going to get serious about LRT, roughly … 10, 15 or 20 per cent? What’s going to be our participation cost?”

Bratina says designing the system has come before answering fundamental financial questions and determining whether the city has the ridership to justify a system.

When asked by radio host Bill Kelly if the city is abandoning LRT, Bratina quickly answered no.

“We couldn’t abandon LRT because transit planning will go on, ad infinitum. If somehow a million people moved to Hamilton over the next five years and we have traffic congestion all over the place, we will look at all transit options, including LRT.”

The mayor went on to say that developers are interested in GO service but that big projects, including a new hotel and condos in and around the former federal building, the Connaught and McMaster’s downtown health campus are not linked at all to the city building LRT.

Councillor Brian McHattie said it’s “silly” that LRT isn’t a priority. He says there is no reason to pit GO service against LRT.

One is a short-term vision funded by the province, and the other is a long-term, city-building project.

“It’s a very strange phenomenon. I don’t understand (the mayor’s) position whatsoever.”

A series of mixed messages about LRT from the city’s top offices have left supporters pessimistic and wondering whether they will torpedo any chance at funding from other levels of government.

Councillor Jason Farr, with McHattie’s backing, will introduce a motion next month that confirms the city’s commitment to fully studying LRT, while acknowledging that GO service is an immediate priority. They drafted the motion after discussions with MPP Ted McMeekin, Metrolinx board member Richard Koroscil and senior staff at the regional transit authority.

The motion calls for Hamilton to lobby for more provincial money to study LRT.

Farr says he believes the case for LRT has been made, but that there are still lots of unanswered questions about costs that can only be answered with analysis. That includes understanding the costs of not building an LRT line. That information swayed a number of councillors in Waterloo, who ultimately voted to build a train line.

McHattie says the purpose of the motion is to get the message out that Hamilton is still pursuing LRT.

“We want everyone to know we’re still in the LRT game. We will continue to work on it and position ourselves to be successful.”

Farr, who represents downtown’s Ward 2, intends to present his motion at a meeting when council will get an LRT progress report from city manager Chris Murray. That is scheduled for mid-October.

[SteelTown]

So any ideas on how we can increase our population by a million within five years?

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

So any ideas on how we can increase our population by a million within five years?

Amalgamate with Niagara!

[padthai]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Councillor Jason Farr, with McHattie’s backing, will introduce a motion next month that confirms the city’s commitment to fully studying LRT, while acknowledging that GO service is an immediate priority. They drafted the motion after discussions with MPP Ted McMeekin, Metrolinx board member Richard Koroscil and senior staff at the regional transit authority.

Glad to see some leadership and long-term vision coming from some parts of council on this issue. Any guesses on the vote split on the motion?

[realcity]

no one knows anything about transit until after the provincial elections. Hamilton's LRT has been a provincial promise since 2004. So our LRT system is already 8 years old.