Rapid Transit

[thistleclub]

A bit more detail related to the May 13 Dreschel column.


Clr. Russ Powers - On LRT/BRT
(The Hamiltonian, May 14 2013)

At a recent council meeting, you signaled your withdrawal of support for LRT, based on affordability considerations. Is this a point in time position, or do you remain open to reconsideration once the funding structures are known? At present, some have interpreted your statement as final, however, we are wondering if you meant it to be so?

I may be proven wrong but I can't foresee the Province providing 100 cent dollars towards our proposed LRT (or any other system). If we do need to contribute then I'd prefer my share to be a % of $300M rather than $900M (2011 $s) leaving monies for the many other demands within the City. I will continue my support for BRT in Hamilton.

Clr. Russ Powers

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

A bit more detail related to the May 13 Dreschel column.


Clr. Russ Powers - On LRT/BRT
(The Hamiltonian, May 14 2013)

At a recent council meeting, you signaled your withdrawal of support for LRT, based on affordability considerations. Is this a point in time position, or do you remain open to reconsideration once the funding structures are known? At present, some have interpreted your statement as final, however, we are wondering if you meant it to be so?

I may be proven wrong but I can't foresee the Province providing 100 cent dollars towards our proposed LRT (or any other system). If we do need to contribute then I'd prefer my share to be a % of $300M rather than $900M (2011 $s) leaving monies for the many other demands within the City. I will continue my support for BRT in Hamilton.

Clr. Russ Powers

That's not even an answer to the question.

How can he base his decision on affordability when it's not even known yet how it will be paid for.

Instead of turning his back on a potentially transformative opportunity, how about lobbying for the best possible deal achievable on behalf of the citizens of Hamilton?

Meanwhile, everyone else in the GTHA will be moving forward with this.

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

Yeah, it's so typical. He says we can't afford it and yet he has no idea what $1B would actually mean to the taxpayer. He has no idea what funding tools will be put in place. He simply has no idea, he just wants his name in the papers again by taking this phony fiscally conservative stance - the next election isn't far off let's remember. And let me tell you, $300M for buses is a pretty big bloody deal. At least with LRT there's likely to be a significant ROI. Little to nothing with BRT. Total waste of $$$.

Short-sighted and self-serving yet again. Thanks Russ.

[HillStreetBlues]

Sorry to sound like an echo, but calling something "unaffordable" when there is no price tag is fiscally irresponsible, and just senseless.

A couple questions for folks, and I'm sorry if I should know the answers:

1) What is he basing the $300M figure on? As I understand it, staff conducted rapid transit studies to estimate a cost for an LRT system. Have such studies been done on BRT as well? Is there a plan with a definite cost associated with it, as seems to be the case with LRT?

2) I was under the impression (I guess I'm not sure why) that LRT was the agreed-upon technology, which is why staff were instructed to spend tax dollars to conduct planning and assessments. Is BRT still under consideration in some real way?

Again, I think that this is not as politically astute as Powers might think, being the first one to abandon LRT. There are enough forward-minded voters in all parts of Hamilton to throw out a few councillors who think their jobs are to facilitate suburban sprawl. With some organization, I think that it would be very possible to target sprawl-minded incumbents and get them out next year.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

What is he basing the $300M figure on?

Who knows?

Don't why he's making stuff up. Too many unknowns yet. Step up and work on behalf of your community. The province wants to give us something that has tremendous potential. WORK ON IT!

[thistleclub]

Councillor Powers circa 2008:

“Introduction of LRT to Hamilton will provide a catalyst for urban revival and go a long way to connecting all corners and borders of our City. If Metrolinx is prepared to provide adequate capital funding then we must seize the opportunity and make the future NOW.”

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

Is BRT still under consideration in some real way?

From Appendix E of Quick Wins Projects Update - King Street Bus Only Lane & A and B Line Passenger Amenities (PW11079d), May 16 2013:

“The success of this pilot project may foreshadow the viability and community acceptance of full rapid transit along this route in the future.”

[thistleclub]

Civic Action report: Our Region, Our Move: Accelerating Investment in Our Regional Transportation Network (May 2013)

[thistleclub]

HSB:

The closest I can get to clarity on the BRT number comes from Metrolinx's 2010 report Hamilton King-Main Rapid Transit Benefits Case, where the short list of options is broken down in 2008 dollars.

Option 1 (Full BRT) = $218m capital costs [~$238m 2012]
Option 2 (Full LRT) = $829m capital costs [~$905m 2012]
Option 3 (Phased LRT) = $605m capital costs [~$660m 2012]

Phased LRT would run from McMaster to Ottawa Street, "deferring some of the costs and benefits attributable to the full LRT to provide an opportunity for the eastern section of the corridor to mature to a point where such an extension could generate greater benefits and re-development up-lift from the LRT investment." Metrolinx assumed a 15-year lag for that to take place.

[pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce]

Hamilton Light Rail Initiative - www.hamiltonlightrail.com - has lots of interesting details about LRT and BRT.

Here's an interesting one for those enamoured with BRT, specifically Ottawa's version - the transitway.

Myth: Bus Rapid Transit is just as good as LRT but costs a lot less.

Fact: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) often has lower capital costs than LRT, but it has much higher per-passenger operating costs. At the same time, it does almost nothing to attract new private investment that increases tax assessments and public infrastructure productivity. In addition, an existing BRT system makes it more difficult to upgrade to LRT in the future.

Ottawa decided in the 1980s to build BRT (called Transitways) instead of LRT. Capital costs for Ottawa's Transitways were nearly as high as Calgary's C-Train, which carries more passengers at a lower operating cost. The Transitways also did a poor job of attracting new transit oriented development. Now the system is at capacity and the city faces an expensive - and highly disruptive - upgrade to LRT.

[Beedok]

I do think that the Transitway in Ottawa has been fairly successful at attract development. A good chunk of the stations have large apartment building clumps built since the transitway was set up. Don't Calgary and Edmonton have rather a lack of transit based developments?

[thistleclub]

The West (GTA) wants in on regional transit
(Toronto Star, Hazel McCallion, May 17 2013)

We’re quickly grinding to a halt in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Moving around our region is becoming increasingly difficult as our highways look more like parking lots and our public transit fails to meet the demands of citizens that it be accessible, affordable and, above all else, quick and integrated across municipal borders. Folks, we’re facing a crisis in the GTA and the time for talk is over; we need action, now.

There are few decisions more critical to our future prosperity than those related to planning and paying for our transit and transportation networks. As politicians, we must show leadership and work together, regardless of our municipal boundaries. Our collective prosperity and that of future generations depends on the choices we make today. The cost of doing nothing is far too high.

The GTA is home to more than 6 million people, but judging by the debate that has occurred to date on the issues of transit and transportation, Toronto appears to be the only municipality deciding how to develop their future transportation networks. I can assure you this is far from the case. Municipalities of the western GTA, including Mississauga, are also having serious discussions about the future of our transit and transportation networks. The 1.6 million residents of the western GTA have a voice and we demand to be heard in this important discussion.

In Mississauga, my council has discussed and debated the Metrolinx plan at length and has endorsed its proposed projects, including the Hurontario LRT and the soon to be completed Bus Rapid Transit Way. We have also begun the difficult discussion of how to pay for the ambitious, yet critically important $50-billion Metrolinx Big Move and what revenue tools we can support to do this. We are not alone as I know similar discussions have occurred in many of the other western GTA cities and towns. Transit planning cannot be Toronto-centric and neither can the way we choose to pay for these important investments.

As a leader in the western GTA, I join my fellow mayors in demanding that any transportation plan and subsequent funding model take into account the needs of our municipalities and our residents. We believe strongly that the solution must be regional in nature, recognizing that residents of the GTA want to move seamlessly between municipalities, no matter where they live and work. At the end of the day, residents simply want to get to work and to play quickly and affordably. We need to facilitate, not impeded this movement.

This is why I am joining my fellow Western GTA mayors from Brampton, Caledon, Oakville, Burlington, and Halton Hills along with experts, politicians, NGOs and engaged residents for the 2013 Western GTA Summit on May 21. We are gathering to discuss our collective future and ask the difficult questions of how we will live, move and most importantly, thrive and prosper in the 21st century. The issues associated with transit and transportation are deeply intertwined with our economic prosperity, and our ability to thrive and prosper.

It is time for a serious conversation about these important issues, and it is time that all regions of the GTA have their voice heard. I hope you will join me on May 21 at the 2013 Western GTA Summit to have your say on these important issues. Decisions are made by those who get involved. Make sure your voice is heard. Register at westerngtasummit.ca.

[HillStreetBlues]

"...my fellow Western GTA mayors from Brampton, Caledon, Oakville, Burlington, and Halton Hills..."

Someone is missing.

[Dwils01]

Milton

[thistleclub]

Western GTA Summit wrestles with region’s dilemmas
(Toronto Star, San Grewal, May 21 2013)

A summit intended to re-focus attention on the needs of the western GTA and away from Toronto proved long on talk, but short on substance.

“What is our vision for this region?” asked Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray.

But Tuesday’s crowd at the Mississauga Convention Centre, including Mayor Hazel McCallion and other municipal leaders, didn’t get many substantive answers from the Western GTA Summit.

Focused on transportation needs, Murray told the audience that as the GTA economy increasingly moves from its old manufacturing base to a knowledge and innovation focus, the GTA will need “highly mobile capital and highly mobile people.”

While expert panelists such as Metrolinx CEO Bruce McQuaig stated the obvious — the region’s highways will look more and more like parking lots if a transit strategy and funding isn’t taken seriously — not much of a region-specific vision was articulated.

The six Peel and Halton region mayors who spoke during the afternoon didn’t outline much of a plan to address transportation dilemmas such as urban sprawl, manufacturing losses, the influence of developers and the region’s love affair with the car. One thing they did agree on, though, was the need to step up and address the province’s move to bring in funding tools to improve transit.