Thursday, October 16th 2008

By selma al-samarrai

      Adhering to both environmental and transportation issues, the new vision for the city of Hamilton is a light rail transit line that is planned to run from Centennial Parkway throughout Hamilton to McMaster University.

     Metrolinx, a board created by the province of Ontario to create regional transportation plans, created a draft plan proposing the idea of the LRT. The current status of the plan is that on Oct. 20, the public works committee will vote for or against the city continuing to pursue the LRT plan alongside Metrolinx. The Mayor of Hamilton Fred Eisenberger and the council of Hamilton vote Oct. 29. If the idea is voted for, then in early November, Metrolinx will present a five-year capital plan to explain where the funds will be directed. Eisenberger elaborated, “Metrolinx includes all areas from Durham through Toronto through Oakville through Hamilton. All of these regions in between are included in the Metrolinx board, which is made of political representatives from all these areas. We identified 11 billion dollars to help fund it initially… this five-year capital plan is a critical point for us to be involved in and to do the plans we want to do in Hamilton.”

     Eisenberger explained that they are still currently in the process of discussing and figuring out how the light rail transit line will be incorporated throughout the city of Hamilton. “Basically we’re tying to build the area from Centennial parkway to McMaster University, now we’re trying to find what street it’s going to be on but it’s likely going to be on Main Street or King Street as a major route. [Also], we haven’t decided whether it [will be] 2 lines on 1 route or 1 line on 1 route and 1 line on another,” explained Eisenberger.

     According to Eisenberger, there will be many benefits to the city of Hamilton if the LRT plan is carried through, “[The LRT] would promote residential and business development that [would] happen around the light rail quarter. So there are significant benefits with the land value, which is an important issue for the city of Hamilton because we’re looking to increase our assessment.” a large potential effect that the LRT will have on the city of Hamilton is a sharp increase in property prices that will be near the LRT. Eisenberger elaborated, “Once [The LRT] is there, there will definitely be a market zoning-in that increases value of property 500 meters of either side of that light rail. Businesses want to be there, residences want to be there. They will be looking at those older properties for investment and renewal, which then would perpetually drive the value up.”

     The many other benefits that the LRT will produce for the residents of Hamilton include providing an environmentally friendly, inexpensive, large and fast transportation method. Eisenberger compared this to the inconvenience that the B-line causes several passengers on a regular basis, “Main [benefit] is moving more people quicker and handling more volume. The B-line was already leaving more people behind at various stops at various parts of the day because of the volume that can’t be handled, and that would be taken care of… and will be doing it more environmentally clean [while] saving fuel costs.”

     Metrolinx is a board that plans several different forms of transportation, not just large public transportation such as the LRT. “They help with cycling, creating more pedestrian-friendly places, bicycle lockups, buses and other transit opportunities. Its not just public transportation; it’s a board that talks about all forms of transportation. We want to promote to reduce pressure on our road network and increase opportunities for alternative means of getting from A to B,” explained Eisenberger.

     Eisenberger explained that the low cost, environmental efficiency and speed all contribute to making the LRT a potentially helpful and practical method of transportation for students, “I think for the future, it is certainly a form of transportations that appeals to students. Clearly the affordability factor is there and you can do it more quickly and more environmentally friendly knowing that doing your part to improve air quality of our city.”

     “Also, it is service on an ongoing way is that everyone wants to use it. The beauty of the light rail is that it appeals to all, people with lunch bags to people with briefcases on the higher end of the scale [will be using it]. Everyone wants to use it as opposed to the bus where there seems to be that certain stigma attached to it that it’s only for folks who cant afford cars, a light rail appeals to everyone.

Tags: buses, city council, commute, HSR