Elections
Do you support the city's plan to build an east-west light rail transit (LRT) line with full capital funding from the Province?
Responses to the question: "Do you support the city's plan to build an east-west light rail transit (LRT) line with full capital funding from the Province?"
In This Page:
7 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ward 09 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Conley, Doug | No | |
| Galindo, Cam | No | No. On this topic, I'm cautiously optimistic. The reality is and many people agree, our city simply can't afford LRT. Bluntly speaking, LRT would only save commuters an extra 5 minutes. Arguably, 5 minutes is not worth the billions of dollars it would cost to build and maintain the line. Not to mention the traffic congestion. It's time to focus on what we need in Ward 9 regarding public transit. Our population has grown substantially over the last several years, and yet we have done nothing to our transit system to accommodate commuters. We need to develop a transit plan that works for you. |
| Marrone, Tone | No | i'm not in favor of lrt on the basis that it will cripple the business sector,serve a fraction of the community and it should not be a priority in discussions when there are so many pressing issues like infrastructure and economic development that should be prioritized. |
| McMullen, Geraldine | Yes | Yes on two conditions. Only if it is fully funded by the Province and if it is supported by consistent, convenient and timely transit service connections from all points of the City. It is important to recognize that there is a cost to sustaining such a service; however, we need to be courageous and forward thinking as we move into a greater vision for an inclusive Hamilton.
|
| Robbins, Marie | Yes | Yes I do and I have written a full article dedicated to this subject here on Raise the Hammer: http://raisethehammer.org/article/2303 |
| Rosser, Christopher | No | My vision for transit will differ from every candidate I've heard from to date. I'll start with my reasoning. Everyone is concentrating on two options; a bus rapid transit system (BRT) or the light rail transit (LRT). Listening to people all around the city, I've heard complaints about both.
The pilot project running right now in downtown Hamilton has a dedicated bus lane. Local businesses are experiencing a drop in sales based on the inability for cars to stop in front of their businesses. Motorists are getting frustrated with the lane reduction as cars pile into their designated lanes while there is an open lane barely getting use beside them and DARTS buses aren't even allowed to use them. These lanes are an important part to a BRT system. The cost is significantly less than LRT but definitely is still a significant investment. The LRT is being touted as the answer for the city. When I think of LRT, my first thought was of the highly effective "C Train" in Calgary. The LRT however is nothing like the "C Train"and is a very long term plan that was not considered when designing the city. I feel it is like trying to put a square peg in a circle hole. The square peg might be a great peg, but if it doesn't fit, it won't work. Not to mention the cost is through the roof. We are hoping that the provincial government honours its promise, made by a premier who is no longer in power and will pay the $810 million construction costs. The infra-structure updates during the construction of the LRT will be the responsibility of the city, which we don't have the budget for. My vision for Hamilton's transit has more to do with who will provide the transit rather than how the city will provide it. I think we need to make a case for the private sector to step up and do what the private sector does best. Offer a service for a profit. For too long now our municipal government had hoped that they can solve the transit issues. The private sector will run it like a business. If they aren't providing a good service, they won't make a profit. So it is always in their best interest to provide the best service possible. It might seem a little extreme but this transit model is not new. York region currently contracts out its service to four private bus contractors, who employ the bus operators and maintain the YRT/Viva fleet. Performance-based contracts with each contractor ensure the system is always running up to the Region's high standards. Their system is not only working, it's actually been increasing the ridership. (YRT/Viva experienced a 2.4 per cent ridership increase in 2013 for a total of 22,709,612 riders) |
| Rukavina, Frank | No | I am opposed to the 14-kilometre light-rail line from McMaster University to Eastgate. If elected I would vote no to the $811-million LRT system (The $811-million which the province has yet to comment too does not including what the local taxpayers will be forced to pay extra to upgrade underground water and sewer services as well as the road reconstruction and traffic signals along the 14km route). I would however would be in favour of negotiating a cheaper bus rapid transit with the province. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 2 | 28.6% |
| No | 5 | 71.4% |
| Maybe | 0 | 0.0% |
2 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ward 09 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Austin, Lee | ||
| Fiorentino, Nancy | ||
