April 9, 2020 – Hamilton, ON: The Hamilton business community wants to recognize the members of the Hamilton Transportation Task Force (HTTF) for their service to our community, delivering an exhaustive and effective evaluation under tight timelines and difficult circumstances. We also want to thank the provincial government, and in particular, Minister Mulroney, for initiating an irreproachable process overseen by Hamiltonians with great integrity.

We agree with the HTTF that the $1B in committed provincial funding must be dedicated to intra-city, higher-order transit that is ready to implement. And, after thorough analysis, we’re sure that decision-makers will concur that Hamilton’s long-planned LRT will deliver the most substantial long-term economic benefits for our city.

The judgment of LRT versus BRT was rendered many years ago after much debate. While cheaper up front, BRT’s long-term operating costs are higher. BRT does not have the same development impact or value uplift as LRT and is not as well-suited for urban environments. As well, building a proper BRT system is more disruptive than LRT and the need to conduct a new environmental assessment process will cause further delay.

We are committed to working with the City of Hamilton and the Province to secure additional LRT funding from the private sector and/or the federal government, which has recently indicated receptivity to a request. If there is a will, there is a way, and all levels of government are more aligned than they have ever been in investing to enhance Hamilton’s transportation network.

Because we have spent 10 years and $162 million in planning for LRT, there is only one plan ready to implement. And while we have many important issues to deal with at the moment, immediate stimulus for Hamilton and Ontario will soon be a necessity.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Marie Nash, Chief Operating Officer
m.nash@hamiltonchamber.ca | 905-741-7164

Bianca Caramento, Manager of Policy and Government Relations
b.caramento@hamiltonchamber.ca | 905.522.1151 ext. 230

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