Elections
Do you support Hamilton's LRT proposal? If so, what will you do to ensure Hamilton's success in building LRT? If not, why do you oppose it?
Responses to the question: "Do you support Hamilton's LRT proposal? If so, what will you do to ensure Hamilton's success in building LRT? If not, why do you oppose it?"
In This Page:
16 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ward 02 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Caplan, Marvin | Yes | I was one of the people who fought for the last LRT proposal in 1980. I have been following the issue carefully. While I still wholeheartedly support the project, one of my Business "Kitchen Cabinet" members has asked that, if elected, I review the numbers. His question is, "would the $'s spent on LRT be more valuable elsewhere?"
One issue that has received no press is the disruption that will be caused over two years to our downtown. That too must be part of the equation. Thus, In the interest of complete transparency I will review the issue if elected. My belief at the moment is quite strongly that LRT is worth the money. What will I do? What I have always done, first consult with community, experts, and colleagues. Then, lobby my extensive contacts at the Provincial level, work to build strong political support community consensus and realistic and balanced capital budgets. |
| Casey, Paul | Yes | I absolutely support the LRT proposal. I think we just have to look at cities like Portland and see the benefits for the economy, community and the environment. However, this not one of those "instant gratification" projects. It will take years to reap the full value once the ground is broken.
To ensure success in creating a successful LRT system in Hamilton, we would first and foremost need buy-in from the citizens of Hamilton, procure provincial/federal and private dollars and partner with other municipalities that are implementing their LRT strategies as well (ie Kitchener/Waterloo). We do not have to reinvent the wheel on this one, the proof exists that if done well it can be a big contributing factor to sustainable growth. I would ensure that this is one of the priority items to get a jump on as it would have a positive influence on many of our cities other pressing issues. |
| Castle, John | Maybe | Ryan, I have asked a good many people they all say the same thing: What exactly is the LRP????? Will it run on electricity, Broward fuel cells? natural gas, what is route, what is cost/benefit analysis reveal? |
| Coleman, Shane | Yes | I support the LRT. However, I want to see it built with environmental promotion in place. I am disappointed to see that so much money was spent on City Hall, the Hamilton Farmers Market, Central public library where all built with out a single 21st century green initiative.
I think the previous Councillors were sleeping. No geothermal or solar? Where are our bicycle lanes on all these newly developed roads? Hamilton needs a new Chapter. I lived in China for five years during the buildup for the Olympics and I saw first hand how areas started to boom everywhere newly developed subway stops where placed. We are moving into a new generation where people desire to live downtown again, close to amenities such as hospitals, restaurants and parks. |
| Deans, Ian | Yes | In general terms I support the development of LRT. There will be some hurdles to overcome leading up to getting people to support the proposal. |
| Farr, Jason | Yes | Yes - all day GO first though. I like the end result of LRT - as a former Urban Geography student (Mac - 91 - 94) I am well aware of the bennifits to rejuvination and tax base growth and LRT will provide |
| Ferguson, Lloyd | No | The LRT is no different than a street car in TOronto and atreet cars have add little to the economy, job creation, the reduction of congestion or anything for the poor. It is not necessary and will be a tax burdon for years to come. |
| Geleynse, Martinus | Yes | I excitedly support Hamilton's LRT proposal! This is an initiative that will enhance our downtown dramatically, enable fast and efficient transportation, and encourage development!
To support it, I will work closely with residents, businesses, the HSR, Metrolinx, City staff, and elected officials at all three levels of government to realize optimal implementation. |
| Gentile, Matteo | Yes | Yes I absolutely support the LRT. However, I support building it along Barton St as this will revitalize a much needed area while we also tackle infrastructure at the same time. It will be essential to bring not only short term jobs but lasting upgrades as businesses begin to re-open along Barton St keeping up with the passenger needs. I will unite with council and ensure we get the funding for this important project. |
| Hess, Erik | Yes | The intensification of our downtown living space hinges on the LRT. Through my past work with the city, I have always considered all the options and presented what I believed to be the best plan for any given project. If elected, I would work to that same end with the LRT, and support the routes and plans that best serve Hamiltonians. |
| Ielasi, Pat | No | No I don't support the LRT at this time, for the following reasons.
a) We cannot afford it. b) our current transits system will be sufficient to meet our needs, i) We just need to re-evaluate the current routes and schedule's and make better use of our resources both mechanical and personnel. ii) We need to provide service to all memebers our community expand the service to the outer portions of our city, Stoney Creek, Glandbrook, Waterdown, Andcaster and Dundas. if we provide service to one community we should provide it to all. we all should benefit from the service provided an all pay our equal share of the cost of providing that service. iii) We should centralise the go bus station and train station at a location located at the CN rail lines at the proposed West Harbour Site, and have all The busses currently stopping on King Street at Gore Park have bus stops at that location.... - It is estimated that 35,000 people commute to the GTA daily to work if we want people to use the transit system it must be accessible, affordable, and timely. that is the only way we will be able to persuade commuters to use public transit. c) Until we address the Infrastructure problem, namely the decay of the sewers....... I can not support spending money putting rails 8 inches into the roads, only to rip them back out again to fix the sewers.... LETS FIX THE SEWERS FIRST |
| Janjic, Ned | Yes | LRT in our city would be fantastic, and especially beneficial to Ward 2. It would drastically change the face of our community. The benefits would be significant.
Unfortunately, the Pan Am stadium issue has dominated the political landscape. We cannot allow vital infrastructure projects to be hijacked by high profile single-issue politics. The transportation system is the backbone of our future growth and prosperity. We as a city council should forcefully lobby with a unified voice to higher levels of government to ensure the LRT becomes a reality. |
| Jelly, Matt | Yes | I fully support efforts to lobby senior levels of government to put in place key federal and provincial funding to establish a world-class LRT system in Hamilton. I believe this is one major component to linking Hamilton's many communities, and expanding our existing transit system to better serve the entire City. LRT has been proven to be an effective stimulator of economic development in cities all over the world. City Council should not squander the opportunity to be the next municipality in line for Federal and Provincial investment in LRT. I will support any effort to make this case loud and clear. |
| Lescaudron, Dawn | Yes | Yes, I support the LRT proposal. However, during the construction phase consideration must be given to the small businesses that will inevitably suffer a loss in profit. Before we can initiate we must secure funding from provincial and federal levels and not have our property taxes suffer as a result.
|
| Novak, James | Maybe | I support a Rapid Transit System for Hamilton. However, currently available data and or proposals do not clearly demonstrate the need for rapid transit at this moment. Population trends show that the population in Hamilton increased by only 15,000 residents between 2001 and 2006. We need to know what our current ridership is with the HSR and what the projections are for the next 20 years. Will our historical buildings downtown and throughout the city suffer structural problems because of vibration? Hence, the city is expected to call in engineers from Europe who have dealt with preservation and safety of historical structures in a LRT environment. With a price tag in excess of $800 million, we need to determine how LRT fits into our priorities from a ecoomic development point-of-view. How will it affect our neighbourhoods and the downtown. We must also consider less expensive alternatives. |
| Pipe, Charlie | Yes | I support the LRT proposal. This is a great long-term plan - it will increase the ease of transportation across the Golden Horseshoe area and reduce dependency on cars. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 12 | 75.0% |
| No | 2 | 12.5% |
| Maybe | 2 | 12.5% |
3 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ward 02 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chiarelli, Diane | ||
| Jones, Hoojung | ||
| Wright, Kevin | ||
