Allandale25
Senior Member
Update from the sub-committee meeting. Operating decision deferred until the Council meeting on March 21st.
- Thread starter Kiwi
- Start date
Allandale25
Senior Member
From February 3rd:
thespec.com
Time to get moving on Hamilton LRT
In 2019, an LRT timeline showed that construction on the rapid transit line would be finished this year.
thespec.com
TheHonestMaple
Active Member
From February 3rd:
Time to get moving on Hamilton LRT
In 2019, an LRT timeline showed that construction on the rapid transit line would be finished this year.
Time to get moving on Hamilton LRT
February 3, 2024 | Hamilton SpectatorAuthor/Byline: Adrian Duyzer; Hamilton Spectator | Section: opinion/contributors
2024 was supposed to be a momentous year for light rail transit (LRT) in Hamilton.
In 2019, an LRT timeline showed that construction on the rapid transit line would be finished this year, and Hamiltonians would be riding the rails in 2024.
If only that were the case. It's now almost three years since the federal and provincial governments jointly announced a renewed $3.4-billion funding commitment to build and operate LRT in Hamilton.
Since then, millions of dollars have gone toward expropriating land and demolishing buildings along the route. In November 2023, Metrolinx, the Ontario crown agency tasked with implementing the project, announced a change that will shift the route to Dundurn Street, eliminating the need for a separate rail bridge over Highway 403. This has the potential to save construction time and money.
However, despite announcing these changes, Metrolinx has been vague about a new project timeline and has not even put out a request for qualifications (RFQ).
An RFQ is the first step toward procuring a large infrastructure contract. Potential bidders detail their experience and qualifications, which are carefully reviewed by Metrolinx in order to produce a shortlist of qualified bidders.
The companies on this shortlist are then invited to participate in a request for proposals (RFP), a competitive bidding process in which participants submit proposals to build the project. The bidder with the most competitive proposal is then selected to receive the contract.
Normally, the RFQ and RFP process takes around two years to complete. But after more than two and a half years since the LRT funding announcement, the process has not even started yet.
Enough is enough. Hamilton Light Rail (HLR) is calling for:
• Immediate initiation of the RFQ process for Hamilton LRT;
• A commitment to a public project timeline with milestones, including the beginning of construction and proposed completion date;
• More transparency and better ongoing communication from Metrolinx.
A few months ago, I visited Boston and stumbled across an exhibit at the Boston Public Library titled "Getting Around Town," which examines the history of Boston's public transit system. I learned that in 1892, Boston's Rapid Transit Commission recommended building a subway to alleviate street traffic in the busy downtown core. Construction began in 1895 and service commenced in 1897.
Contrast this swift and decisive action with the excruciatingly slow process here in Hamilton. The Ontario government first promised to build the Hamilton LRT in 2007 - 17 years ago. It was originally supposed to be operational in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
It is long past time to make real progress on this project. Hamilton deserves a swift, energetic commitment to the project from Metrolinx, along with much more transparency and a prompt release of the RFQ.
No matter what is decided regarding public versus private operations, the project's construction process should start without delay.
Locally, city council needs to start pressuring the province to make building Hamilton LRT a real priority. As Mayor Andrea Horwath said in a year-end interview, "The delays are disappointing. We have to get LRT going. We are waiting for Metrolinx to decide who it is they are going to contract to do the work. We need to move on it."
We couldn't agree more. Let's get rolling on Hamilton LRT.
drum118
Superstar
With Hurontario Line being Line 10 now, what Line number will be used for the Hamilton Line???
allengeorge
Senior Member
Given the speed at which Metrolinx is working on this the government will probably announce another line somewhere and start work on that before this thing actually starts construction
So, who knows!
(Serious question though: why does the line number in one city have an impact on the line number in another city for what’s essentially local transit?)
ShonTron
Moderator
The Hurontario Line’s number is not yet public! It was redacted in the documents I recently received.
Heavy interference in a light rail transit project
The renaming of the Hurontario LRT for former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion violates wayfinding standards, but the decision came direct from the Doug Ford government. The unilateral move is jus…
seanmarshall.ca
vistaway
Active Member
From The Spec:
www.thespec.com
Longwood bridge rebuild put off until 2032 after LRT route change
Reconstruction is now a long way off, but the city is exploring temporary safety improvements for pedestrians this year.
Longwood bridge rebuild put off until 2032 after LRT route change
Longwood Road bridge rebuild delayed after Hamilton LRT reroute
www.thespec.com
akiraredacted
New Member
I was thinking they'd just use the letter B
Sunnyside
Active Member
Probably not if the GO Lines get renamed to letters as proposed.
Kinda wish we could go with “H1” on provincial maps or something. Now this does negate the planned lettered names, but GO has planned this for a while, so it’s neither here nor there. Maybe B-Line stays on local maps, but I don’t think that leaves a non-confusing way to unify things. Giving place initial+number is confusing because then Hurontario becomes “M1” and so on… which is what many places distinguish metro lines.
Long story short, it will probably be something confusing if they try to unify it in any way because of the knock-on effects. It’ll be less so if they don’t, but not by much.
T3G
Senior Member
I think numbering it the 1 would be more than sufficient. By the time a second LRT gets off the ground we'll all be long dead anyway.
Allandale25
Senior Member
Recent job posting:
ehtc.fa.ca2.oraclecloud.com
Project Manager, Hamilton LRT (Municipal)
The Project Manager will provide a key role within the Hamilton LRT project delivery team by coordination and undertaking of activities related to coordination with internal and external stakeholders including the Municipality, project planning, environmental work, property acquisitions, third...
ehtc.fa.ca2.oraclecloud.com
Bojaxs
Active Member
So frustrating that they're actually going to build this LRT without the 403 bridge.From The Spec:
Longwood bridge rebuild put off until 2032 after LRT route change
Reconstruction is now a long way off, but the city is exploring temporary safety improvements for pedestrians this year.
Longwood bridge rebuild put off until 2032 after LRT route change
Longwood Road bridge rebuild delayed after Hamilton LRT reroute
Another slow LRT for Ontario. Just like the Ion. "Nah, we never claimed it was rapid transit. Where did you get that idea?"
Last month I was in Calgary and rode the C-train. This month I'm in B.C., and today I rode the Sky train from Coquitlam Central to Broadway. Then took the Expo line back to Coquitlam, by transferring at Lougheed.
B.C. constructs their LRTs to act like subways while Ontario constructs their LRTs to behave like streetcars.
Why can't we build LRTs that actually go fast?
Last edited:
innsertnamehere
Superstar
The Skytrain isn't an LRT at all. It's a full-blown metro system.
Unlike Ontario, BC just actually builds metro systems. They had originally planned an LRT in Surrey, but dropped it in favour of a skytrain extension instead.
Unlike Ontario, BC just actually builds metro systems. They had originally planned an LRT in Surrey, but dropped it in favour of a skytrain extension instead.
Chris R.
Senior Member
innsertnamehere
Superstar
Thanks. Any word on when the York Boulevard work will begin? That's also an LRT early works project that was scheduled for this year, but I haven't heard much about it in a while..