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:
5 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ward 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Norton, Kevin | Yes | I do support this plan but not in its currently proposed entity. At the moment the LRT proposal involves a King and Main line and a mountain access as well as an express line connecting Waterloo to Downtown Hamilton.
I support the basics of this plan mainly the Main and King installation. This is not to say that further additions cannot be made to the route in the future but this proposal is one that will maximize benefits of reducing cars on the road, eliminating the need for as many buses along this route and making the cost of such a project much more palatable. |
| Risdale, Marc Rhéal | Yes | Yes. I have openly supported LRT throughout my campaign. Based on the evidence I have seen, it is a vital key to the economic development of Hamilton and the renewal of the core. This is of great importance to Dundas as it is the most sustainable way to reduce our extremely high tax burden. |
| Scime, Danya | No | In a perfect City with no other pressing issues needing our long term tax dollars, I would support LRT. Unfortunately, this is NOT a reality. Currently we have infrastructure, waterlines, sewers and roads in desperate need of repair. I can easily compare this to my wish for having a hybrid echo friendly car while I need a roof over my head repaired and food on the table for my children. I do believe that we must factor in a more efficient transit system for the future but at the present time it needs to be planned, not executed. Ryan, I respect RTH stance ; yet as a Dundas Tax Payer that wants what is best for the entire City, LRT is not the priority for the majority of our Residents. And there is NO SIGN of this having any safety net after the original "capital funding from the Province" (provincial dollars are out of our "other"pocket, not from any other source). The maintenance and yearly operating costs are not included in the funding and until our other issues are resolved, LRT is too costly. We also need to take into account our North -South transit woes to encourage revitalization of Downtown Hamilton as well as our outlying Wards that have to be crammed onto busses that are over crowded or not on a longer running schedule. As a side note, if we are so concerned to work on our environmental woes, I would much prefer we CLEAN UP our water (Randle Reef, Harbour front etc.properly) and attract more business and residents that will pay maximum dollars to have the privilege of working/living by water that we can swim in. |
| Vanderbeek, Arlene | No | NO. I believe that we need an efficient and convenient transit system -- one that works for this community and one that we can afford. Service frequency, convenience and accessibility are the way that we will increase ridership and make the transit system financially sustainable. Not just on the B-Line.
LRT is not a priority for me. We do not have all the facts, at this point, and the ones we do have indicate that the tax burden will be heavy -- not only to build it, but to operate and maintain it. Additionally, implementation will be years away. I see buses and BRT as something we can begin to implement almost immediately, in affordable stages; as highly flexible; and more sustainable. |
| Yull, Toby | Yes | Yes, with a Dundas addendum: bring the service further west to the transit hub at the University Plaza. Dundas has always been home to large numbers of McMaster people (hospital, university, staff, faculty, docs, nurses, students) who must park cars on paved lots on campus.
Linking to an existing hub where people could park and go, would include Dundas in the lower-city transit upgrade and go a long way to assuaging the still-prevalent negative feelings around amalgamation (that is, that Dundas gives to Hamilton, but does not receive). Ancaster riders could come down the #2 hill and park and ride from the hub as well, thus servicing a whole new chunk of the GHA, and of course, many riders from the west end would go beyond Mac to downtown and Stoney Creek. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 3 | 60.0% |
| No | 2 | 40.0% |
| Maybe | 0 | 0.0% |
4 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ward 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coull, Mark | ||
| Court, Rick | ||
| Mitchell, Pamela | ||
| Urquhart, Christeen | ||
