Metrolinx Open House Needs High Turnout

ryan_mcgreal · #1 Posted: **Oct 28, 2008, 4:53 PM**

This Thursday, October 30, 2008, Metrolinx will host an Open House from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Convention Centre - Websters Room, 1 Summers Lane (at Main St. W.) in Hamilton.

It is vitally important that as many Hamilton residents attend as possible so that Metrolinx can see firsthand the strong public support for light rail rapid transit.

The Metrolinx mandate is to fund regional transportation projects that are transformational, not just incremental. We need to argue that BRT is only an incremental improvement on the rapid transit B-Line we already have, and will have only a minimal impact on ridership and economic development.

Light rail, by contrast, is truly transformational in the manner that Metrolinx envisions. It dramatically increases ridership, entices developers to invest in the transit corridor, and allows the HSR to redeploy its buses to improve transit across the entire city.

Metrolinx needs to see that public support for light rail remains strong - that last summer's enthusiasm was not just a flash in the pan, and that the community is united in its support. If they hold this meeting and the turnout is high, that in itself will lower the political risk for them to commit to big spending here in the near term.

Please help spread the word and try to attend if possible.

http://raisethehammer.org/blog/1136

Boomtown_Hamilton · #2 Posted: **Oct 28, 2008, 5:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

This Thursday, October 30, 2008, Metrolinx will host an Open House from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Convention Centre - Websters Room, 1 Summers Lane (at Main St. W.) in Hamilton.

It is vitally important that as many Hamilton residents attend as possible so that Metrolinx can see firsthand the strong public support for light rail rapid transit.

The Metrolinx mandate is to fund regional transportation projects that are transformational, not just incremental. We need to argue that BRT is only an incremental improvement on the rapid transit B-Line we already have, and will have only a minimal impact on ridership and economic development.

Light rail, by contrast, is truly transformational in the manner that Metrolinx envisions. It dramatically increases ridership, entices developers to invest in the transit corridor, and allows the HSR to redeploy its buses to improve transit across the entire city.

Metrolinx needs to see that public support for light rail remains strong - that last summer's enthusiasm was not just a flash in the pan, and that the community is united in its support. If they hold this meeting and the turnout is high, that in itself will lower the political risk for them to commit to big spending here in the near term.

Please help spread the word and try to attend if possible.

http://raisethehammer.org/blog/1136

Great job Ryan. I will be there and will bring some people with me.

crhayes · #3 Posted: **Oct 28, 2008, 5:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

This Thursday, October 30, 2008, Metrolinx will host an Open House from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Convention Centre - Websters Room, 1 Summers Lane (at Main St. W.) in Hamilton.

It is vitally important that as many Hamilton residents attend as possible so that Metrolinx can see firsthand the strong public support for light rail rapid transit.

The Metrolinx mandate is to fund regional transportation projects that are transformational, not just incremental. We need to argue that BRT is only an incremental improvement on the rapid transit B-Line we already have, and will have only a minimal impact on ridership and economic development.

Light rail, by contrast, is truly transformational in the manner that Metrolinx envisions. It dramatically increases ridership, entices developers to invest in the transit corridor, and allows the HSR to redeploy its buses to improve transit across the entire city.

Metrolinx needs to see that public support for light rail remains strong - that last summer's enthusiasm was not just a flash in the pan, and that the community is united in its support. If they hold this meeting and the turnout is high, that in itself will lower the political risk for them to commit to big spending here in the near term.

Please help spread the word and try to attend if possible.

http://raisethehammer.org/blog/1136

I will be there too! I will try and bring some friends.

emge · #4 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 1:22 AM**

I'll be there with a few more people, hopefully.

go_leafs_go02 · #5 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 1:25 AM**

I'm on the fence on attending. We shall see.

What's stopping me? haha. "the office"

crhayes · #6 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:40 AM**

I think I got a couple friends coming.

I think if you ask people and they seem like they are on the fence (as in, they 'don't really care') show them a picture of LRT and say "would you rather have this stopping at Gore Park or a bus?" (it worked for me).

PS -I know people are striving to have transit moved out of Gore Park...I just said it cause it's easier for people to relate to

crhayes · #7 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 4:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

I'm on the fence on attending. We shall see.

What's stopping me? haha. "the office"

Lol as in the show? That is no excuse to miss this!! haha

Boomtown_Hamilton · #8 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 4:58 AM**

.............Let's bring the --->"R"<--- back to the HSR!

ryan_mcgreal · #9 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

What's stopping me? haha. "the office"

Just PVR it and watch it after you get home.

raisethehammer · #10 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 2:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crhayes

Lol as in the show? That is no excuse to miss this!! haha

hmmm, so I crack an almost identical joke last night about 'the office' and our anal mods deleted it.
I even included the usual 'LOL'.

I'm going to go start a new poll asking who thinks we should get rid of the mods and go back to the good old days when we were allowed to chat like human beings, including the odd joke. This isn't frickin China.

crhayes · #11 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

hmmm, so I crack an almost identical joke last night about 'the office' and our anal mods deleted it.
I even included the usual 'LOL'.

I'm going to go start a new poll asking who thinks we should get rid of the mods and go back to the good old days when we were allowed to chat like human beings, including the odd joke. This isn't frickin China.

Good thing man or someone might snipe you....it looks like you have some enemies :| lol

highwater · #12 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:26 PM**

I was waffling because I have a busy night tomorrow, but after the Spec's lame attempt at 'balance' http://thespec.com/article/457281 this morning, I'll move heaven and earth to get there.

Why they felt the need to waste so much space and ink (big colour photo on the opinons page, no less) on Cal di Falco's surprisingly substance-free contribution to the LRT discussion, this week of all weeks, I'll never know.

adam · #13 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:42 PM**

Lets all send Cam DiFalco an email and let him know there are many educated residents who see that he didn't do much research before writing the article.

highwater · #14 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:45 PM**

Ya know, now that I think about it, perhaps there's method in their madness. Just like their half-hearted 'endorsement' of DiIanni helped throw the election to Fred, perhaps they are praising LRT with faint damning - if you get my drift. Maybe they included the sexy shot of happy people getting off an LRT to undermine Cal's half-hearted 'argument'. Or maybe I'm just rationalizing my subscription.

highwater · #15 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam

Lets all send Cam DiFalco an email and let him know there are many educated residents who see that he didn't do much research before writing the article.

Be polite. Cal's a good guy who only wants what's best for Hamilton. But he sure didn't think that article through.

adam · #16 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 3:55 PM**

His article has no proof of the sweeping statements he makes. This discredits the article. I don't think it should be considered impolite to point this out. Unfortunately most people will believe anything in print, that's why I sent him an email voicing my concerns.

raisethehammer · #17 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 4:27 PM**

sad stuff if Cal actually does work for the province. Yikes.

Jon Dalton · #18 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 4:41 PM**

I'm going. Regarding the spec letter the biggest mistake there is arguing the lack of destinations point. The B-line is at capacity already so we can justify it on ridership alone, in fact that's one of the key points being made to metrolinx. Also, jobs in the CBD are the determining factor for light rail viability in studies elsewhere, and I expect we have enough of them. Does anyone have numbers for this?

hamtransithistory · #19 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 6:26 PM**

I'll be there, I've even registered.

(Hell, I have to. My website is about transit history, and better to make history than to be history.)

astroblaster · #20 Posted: **Oct 29, 2008, 9:44 PM**

i plan on coming as well