The future of Hamilton's public transit

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Even so, with ~4 times the length it's no surprise Hamilton's will cost more. Add in that it's a new line needing new vehicles too.

The two lines are really apples vs. oranges.

Hamilton's cost would have to cover an LRT storage/maintenance facility too (at least I think that was part of the original estimate)

[thistleclub]

Whitehead: charity dare aims to ‘shame’
(Hamilton Spectator, Andrew Dreschel, Mar 18 2015)

Is the campaign focused on getting city councillors to ride the bus for charity really about dialogue or coercion?

Unsurprisingly, it depends who's talking. What is less hazy, however, is the way the campaign has pretty much fizzled and failed to date. There's a good lesson in that for the organizers.

In late January, Environment Hamilton launched an online fundraiser calling for residents to pledge cash donations to convince city councillors to take the bus for five days.

Called Throw Council on the Bus, donations are to be used to buy bus tickets for the needy — but they're only activated if individual councillors accept the challenge.

The campaign came on the heels of council's decision to kill the downtown bus lane and continued through the intense debate over the 10-year transit plan.

The idea, according to Environment Hamilton executive director Lynda Lukasik, is to get some transit dialogue going and to ground councillors in first-hand experience on issues they're voting on.

So far, about $7,500 in pledges have been raised. But only five of the 16 members of council have either taken up or have promised to fulfil the challenge before the March 30 deadline.

Jason Farr, Aidan Johnson, Mathew Green, Sam Merulla and Mayor Fred Eisenberger are aboard. Problem is, their combined pledges only account for about $620 of the total. Half the pledges have been directed at Chad Collins and Terry Whitehead — $1,930 each — and they simply aren't playing.

Collins could not be reached. But he previously pleaded that ward and family responsibilities make it impossible to participate. Whitehead makes the same argument, but also bluntly calls the campaign a deliberate attempt to "coerce and shame" councillors.

Read it in full here.

[HillStreetBlues]

In my opinion, the best possible response for Whitehead would have been to say something along the lines of “I really appreciate Environment Hamilton trying to call attention to this issue. For a variety of reasons, I’m not positive I can meet the conditions of the challenge. I’ll be happy to donate $1,900 personally to help people in need buy bus tickets, which is a great cause, and I commit to trying to take HSR more often in the future to improve my understanding of the service’s needs.”

Instead, he’s calling people names and accusing them of ulterior motives which he has no chance of proving. Shame on him for that. I know that he knows that most of his constituents are not transit users, so maybe there’s even an argument that transit proponents constitute a “special interest” for him. But even if he won’t lose votes talking about “coercion” and other nonsense, I can’t understand why he would want to be quoted in the paper in that way.

[flar]

In contrast, my city councilor in Ottawa takes the same bus as me in the morning. I see him all the time. That alone makes me vote for him.

[LikeHamilton]

Hamilton transit union moves closer to strike

Bus drivers and mechanics could go on strike in the first week of April

By Adam Carter, CBC News Posted: Mar 18, 2015 1:37 PM ET

Hamilton’s transit union has made a request with the Ministry of Labour that would legally allow its members to go on strike next month, three months before thousands flock to the city for the Pan Am Games.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 made application to the ministry for a no board report on Wednesday, which essentially puts the union in a legal lockout or strike position as of the first week of April. The move puts pressure on a city that hopes to present its best image when it hosts the soccer games for the 2015 Pan Am Games in July.

Union president Eric Tuck says the city has been dragging its heels on talks for months.

“We wanted to get talks going back in October,” Tuck said. “It’s been an extremely slow process.

At least four other unions are also bargaining with the city right now, and their contracts all expired on Dec. 31. The union will have a strike vote on March 29 if a settlement can't be reached.

Despite sending notice to the city back in the middle of October, Tucks says the union was told in no uncertain terms that due to the municipal elections, no talks would happen before mid-January.

The two sides have been meeting since Jan. 19, but with little progress. They’ve been stuck on discussions about working conditions, meaning cash – a sticking point in almost any negotiation process – hasn’t even been discussed at all.

The city is aware that the transit union has filed a no board report, city spokesperson Kelly Anderson told CBC Hamilton. "The city has scheduled dates to continue negotiations with the union and remains hopeful that a negotiated settlement can be reached at the bargaining table," she said.

Tuck says that Hamilton's transit system has been "seriously underfunded and neglected for a number of years," and that has made for shoddy working conditions.

“A commitment to safe and reasonable schedules is crucial to our members’ health and well-being, and is in the best interest of our passengers,” he said.

Transit funding has been the catalyst for hours of contentious debate at city hall in recent months.

Councillors have sparred over using provincial funds to build light rail transit and more recently, over a $300-million transit plan that would bolster bus service and build a new garage to house new buses.

Tuck says an infusion of cash into the city’s transit system is necessary. “In the last 10 years the transit system has been severely underfunded.”

The city is working on back-up plans in case one of more of its unions — including transit drivers, landscapers, garbage collectors, and others — are on strike for the Pan Am Games.

The city is working on “contingency plans” in case one or more of the unions is in the midst of labour unrest during the Games, scheduled for July 10 to 26, said Gerry Davis, head of public works, in January. He wouldn’t say what the plans are.

“Hopefully we don’t have any form of disruption, but we are planning,” he said.

With files from Samantha Craggs

[LikeHamilton]

City bus drivers vote for strike mandate

Hamilton Spectator

City bus drivers are willing to go on strike to get a new deal.

Unionized HSR workers voted 95 per cent in favour of a strike mandate Sunday night, although a strike or lockout can't happen until April 9.

Union president Eric Tuck listed benefits, seniority rights and "safe and reasonable schedules" among big topics still under negotiation.

City spokesperson Mike Kirkopoulos said bargaining continues this week. The union represents 682 HSR workers, including 450 bus drivers.

[thistleclub]

Canadian cities lobby Ottawa for increase in public transit funding
(The Globe and Mail, Bill Curry, Mar 30 2015)

Canada’s municipalities are calling for the federal budget to include at least $1-billion a year in new cash for public transit, insisting the projects will boost economic growth and reduce commute times.

The specific request to be announced Monday by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities comes as urban transit issues are shaping up to be a key focus for the 2015 federal election.

The fact that the precise recommendations come on the heels of a series of private meetings with senior Conservative officials responsible for the 2015 budget suggests the government is interested in announcing new infrastructure spending.

The October election will feature 30 new ridings and many are in urban areas where transit is an important issue for voters. The opposition NDP and Liberals both say infrastructure and transit spending will be key planks of their election platforms.

The Conservative government and the FCM have worked closely together in previous budget cycles. Those exchanges produced the New Building Canada Fund in the 2013 budget, which the FCM endorsed.

That package included $14-billion in federal infrastructure spending over 10 years, in addition to the roughly $2-billion per year that is transferred to municipalities in connection to federal gas-tax revenues....

Canada’s mayors and city councillors have often said over the past year that more federal infrastructure spending is needed, but have resisted until now to provide specific funding requests.

The FCM says municipalities and provincial governments should match any new federal spending.

In addition to the call for $1-billion a year in transit funding, the FCM is also recommending that Ottawa contribute $300-million a year toward municipal waste-water upgrades. A third and final request from the FCM is that Ottawa protect the nearly $2-billion currently spent on social housing that is scheduled to be gradually phased out over the coming years as previous arrangements expire.

The FCM’s transit funding request says the cash should go to cities and towns based on their current and projected transit ridership, rather than by population. Such a formula would likely give larger cities a bigger share of the money than smaller communities.

[HillStreetBlues]

MeIsThomas posted a link in the Bella Towers thread to a twitter post showing a picture of widened sidewalks at the bus stop at Main and MacNab. I thought I'd ask the question here if anyone knows if this is part of the project (funded by Metrolinx through "Quick Wins," I believe) to enhance certain busy bus stops along the A and B corridors. That was originally planned for last year, and at least at the stops I see frequently, we are still waiting...

[mishap]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

MeIsThomas posted a link in the Bella Towers thread to a twitter post showing a picture of widened sidewalks at the bus stop at Main and MacNab. I thought I'd ask the question here if anyone knows if this is part of the project (funded by Metrolinx through "Quick Wins," I believe) to enhance certain busy bus stops along the A and B corridors. That was originally planned for last year, and at least at the stops I see frequently, we are still waiting...

That was the idea, to fund it from Metrolinx. I can't confirm that that's where the money came from. As to the delay for that specific stop, I agree with timing it around the courthouse construction. The other stops though...

I can't recall the source, but the first fully-functioning enhanced stop "pilot project" with signs and all will be at the MTC park n Ride. So they're only at the pilot project stage.

Speaking of "still waiting," does anyone know the status of the Mohawk College Multimodal Hub?

[LikeHamilton]

From Hamilton Transit Blog. An article and pictures of the new articulated buses, New Flyer XN60s numbered 1420 – 1437.

http://www.hamiltontransit.ca/brand-...ive/#more-3963

[matt602]

The seating configuration is quite interesting, almost entirely forward facing double sections. Also foldable single seats in the articulated joint, which is much better than the current setup. Seems like the HSR is going with a more TTC-like approach on the seating config.

[HillStreetBlues]

From The Spec: No. 33 Sanatorium bus on Redfern is a bother, some say

I had to cringe when I read this one: a resident of Redfern Ave, Paul Hamilton, has evidently organized a petition to have the 33 Sanatorium's frequency reduced because he dislikes the noise, or look of it, or whatever. The usual nonsense about seeing empty buses. NIMBY stuff. It's unfortunate that this is given the time of day by elected officials, and staff time is wasted on it.

[flar]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

From Hamilton Transit Blog. An article and pictures of the new articulated buses, New Flyer XN60s numbered 1420 – 1437.

http://www.hamiltontransit.ca/brand-...ive/#more-3963

The front section looks shorter than the old New Flyers

[matt602]

Originally Posted by flar

The front section looks shorter than the old New Flyers

The new articulated buses are not only the new "Xcelsior" design (like the newest 40 foot buses that the HSR received) but they're also CNG fueled so the tank is on top of the bus instead of under. That's probably why the changed the seating around quite a bit on the front section as well. I really like the flip up seats in the middle section. Should have had them on the old ones.

[mishap]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

I had to cringe when I read this one: a resident of Redfern Ave, Paul Hamilton, has evidently organized a petition to have the 33 Sanatorium's frequency reduced because he dislikes the noise, or look of it, or whatever.

Evening service is hourly. How much less service can there be?

In one sense, I do agree that the bus should not be on Redfern. That is not where the riders are, and it comes pretty close to other points on the Sanatorium route. Since a lot of the riders are from the hospital, the route could likely use the roadway running through the parking lots and in front of Chedoke Arena. I would think it would be a lot more convenient for patrons of both the arena and the hospital.

The usual nonsense about seeing empty buses. NIMBY stuff. It's unfortunate that this is given the time of day by elected officials, and staff time is wasted on it.

Yeah, that empty bus stuff is nonsense. The other big trip generator is Pine Hall, which is immediately after Redfern when outbound. So the bus may be quite empty after Redfern, but usually not while on Redfern.

And the argument about buses speeding down the street? That is rare. Cars are much more likely to tear down that road. In response to largely-unfounded complaints, the HSR has asked their drivers to stay under 40km/h along Redfern. Remember, the limit is 50 for everyone else. In spite of this, residents (or a certain one) are still calling in to say that buses are going too fast, at 10 under the limit. One driver told me he was confronted by a "concerned" resident about speeding (at 40). The guy went as far as to try and block the bus with his car. So yeah, this is getting stupid.

[flar]

Originally Posted by matt602

The new articulated buses are not only the new "Xcelsior" design (like the newest 40 foot buses that the HSR received) but they're also CNG fueled so the tank is on top of the bus instead of under. That's probably why the changed the seating around quite a bit on the front section as well. I really like the flip up seats in the middle section. Should have had them on the old ones.

The ones in Ottawa have four seats on the joint circle (whatever it's called), which I think is good, because it's no fun to stand in that section.

Originally Posted by mishap

Evening service is hourly. How much less service can there be?

In one sense, I do agree that the bus should not be on Redfern. That is not where the riders are, and it comes pretty close to other points on the Sanatorium route. Since a lot of the riders are from the hospital, the route could likely use the roadway running through the parking lots and in front of Chedoke Arena. I would think it would be a lot more convenient for patrons of both the arena and the hospital.

Yeah, that empty bus stuff is nonsense. The other big trip generator is Pine Hall, which is immediately after Redfern when outbound. So the bus may be quite empty after Redfern, but usually not while on Redfern.

And the argument about buses speeding down the street? That is rare. Cars are much more likely to tear down that road. In response to largely-unfounded complaints, the HSR has asked their drivers to stay under 40km/h along Redfern. Remember, the limit is 50 for everyone else. In spite of this, residents (or a certain one) are still calling in to say that buses are going too fast, at 10 under the limit. One driver told me he was confronted by a "concerned" resident about speeding (at 40). The guy went as far as to try and block the bus with his car. So yeah, this is getting stupid.

Wow, this guy should move out in the country or a small town.

[markbarbera]

This hasn't been talked about here yet, but the concept as reported on the CBC website is intriguing:

Until now, it's been a pie-in-the-sky idea. But the city wants to take the idea of gondolas into the mainstream.

City officials are intrigued by the notion of gondolas that would go up and down the Niagara Escarpment and have just added the concept to the transportation master plan (TMP) to get public input on the idea.

Transportation officials have been talking about gondolas for "two or three months now," said Al Kirkpatrick, the city's manager of transportation planning.

The city is reviewing its TMP to determine how transportation will grow in Hamilton over the next 30 years.

The team is hosting public input sessions in June, Kirkpatrick said. And as it does, it's asking people about gondolas as a way of moving people between the upper and lower city.

The idea of innovative transportation on the escarpment is not a new one in Hamilton.

From 1895 to 1936, the city operated the Wentworth incline railway, which took passengers up and down the mountain on a track. Many of those footings still exist just under the surface, Kirkpatrick said. Those footings could serve as future footings for the gondola.


It's too early to talk about details, such as where the gondola would go or how much it would cost. It would have to tie in with Hamilton's existing transportation plan, including a future light-rail transit (LRT) line along King Street due to launch in 2024.

For now, Kirkpatrick said, he just wants to know what people think.
"We want to ask residents, 'What do you think about it? Is this something you would use?'" Kirkpatrick said.

"We want to get their input into whether it's a great idea or something we should be considering."

Coun. Terry Whitehead is on board for the discussion. His staff met with researchers from McMaster University's Institute for Transportation and Logistics this week about it.

"When I first heard about the concept, I thought it was a harebrained idea," the Ward 8 councillor said. "But as you do more research and take a look at countries around the world that have utilized gondolas, it's one of the cheapest alternatives."

read the full article here.

I like the idea of a gondola. Instead of designing spur lines and a extremely long pedestrian walkway, why not link the LRT to West Harbour GO, MacNab HSR, and Hunter Street GO stations with a gondola? Imagine a gondola traveling south from West Harbour GO above MacNab Street and Jackson Square to stop at MacNab Terminal, continue to Hunter, run parallel to Hunter above the CP track to a stop above the Hunter GO Train Platform, then have it continue above the rail trail to Wentorth, then south using the footings for the old Wentworth incline to ascend the mountain. It would be a unique, inexpensive option to providing a solution that addresses the challenges to link these hubs and connect the mountain to the city's higher order transit plan.

[Katrillion]

A gondola would be nice to go up the escarpment but not going through the lower city.

[SteelTown]

A gondola would be great from Olympic Park and down along the hydro corridor to link to McMaster. It be a great way to connect the Mountain to McMaster since there's no direct access to McMaster.

[flar]

A gondola would be so awesome. I just rode one in Mont Tremblant last week. Very efficient means of moving up and down, and it would offer amazing views, and boost tourism.