Metrolinx Open House Needs High Turnout

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

By , Last Updated Tuesday, October 28, 2008

First published in Raise the Hammer on Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

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.