'Can't ignore city's plea for LRT'

The head of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce's transport committee is confident the city will get its funding for rapid transit from Metrolinx sooner rather than later.

By Daniel Nolan, Last Updated Friday, October 31, 2008

Published in the Hamilton Spectator on October 31, 2008.

The head of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce's transport committee is confident the city will get its funding for rapid transit from Metrolinx sooner rather than later.

Hamilton is not as far along as other municipalities in the GTA and it has been hinted it will receive funding for transit in the latter years of a 2009-2013 budget.

Dan Rodrigues acknowledges it is a "struggle," but believes Metrolinx can't ignore the city's plea for light rail transit (LRT).

"I don't think they can ignore us," he said last night at an open house hosted by Metrolinx on its proposed plans for Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area.

"Council has shown unanimous support for LRT and that speaks volumes to Metrolinx." There's one vision, he said.

Mindful that regions such as York are farther ahead than Hamilton in having rapid transit, Rodrigues said that should not matter because Metrolinx should not "be looking at local, but globally."

"We cannot restrict just looking at Hamilton, but how the GTA/ Hamilton are doing. We all need to survive and prosper."

More than 100 people attended the open house at the Hamilton Convention Centre. It was the last of seven such meetings across the GTA/Hamilton and officials said it was the third best attended after two meetings in Toronto.

In Metrolinx's 25-year, $50-billion plan, Hamilton is slated to get four rapid transit lines. An east-west B line is short-listed as a priority in the first 15 years of the plan. Whether it becomes bus or rail is not decided, but there is definite support for rail in the community.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger attended the meeting and received loud applause from the crowd when he reported city council voted Wednesday night to support a LRT system.

Rob MacIsaac, chair of Metrolinx, said he was "totally impressed" with the "level of engagement for LRT in Hamilton," but he and other Metrolinx officials said there are other considerations such as affordability.

While many see LRT running on Main Street, MacIsaac said officials would look at running it along the existing east-west TH&B line. He noted, however, that would miss out on stimulating development along a street.