innsertnamehere
Superstar
Honestly with the IO update not even having solid dates attached to the LRT procurement and it being listed only in "future projects".. it's not a good sign.
- Thread starter Kiwi
- Start date
Chris R.
Senior Member
The IO updates are usually built over the prior weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if it's 2-4 weeks out of date. It honestly feels like Hamilton LRT has ramped up in the last 4 weeks with renders, and project office both coming early 2024 (Jan/Feb)
TheHonestMaple
Active Member
@Chris R. it is my understanding that the office on King at The Connaught is not a project office. It's a community engagement office. The actual Metrolinx project office has been up and running for around 6 months already, and is located at 21 King Street West (CIBC building).
A reminder that there is a meeting next week. I'll be tuning in on youtube. I'm sure they're going to reveal quite a bit this time.
Monday, December 11, 2023 @ 9:30 AM
Council Chambers
A reminder that there is a meeting next week. I'll be tuning in on youtube. I'm sure they're going to reveal quite a bit this time.
Light Rail Transit Sub-committee
Monday, December 11, 2023 @ 9:30 AM
Council Chambers
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Chris R.
Senior Member
This is what I meant, project community office. A place for the public or business owners to meet someone in person about the project. Basically a stagnant place for those pop-up tables.
BrenWilson
Active Member
The good news I think is that this project has much more incommon with Finch than any other (except maybe KW LRT) and that project is going very well. Tender for the actual LRT construction package has been rumored for Jan/Feb for a while. So 2025 for construction start, especially when considering the utility works in 2024 are not minor works, is not that long a wait.
I'm more interested to see that there are no specific cancon requirements for the LRVs, might open the competition to more than just Alstom and uh... Alstom.
I'm more interested to see that there are no specific cancon requirements for the LRVs, might open the competition to more than just Alstom and uh... Alstom.
Chris R.
Senior Member
So that was your question! I'd love to see some non-alstom trains. I do think Alstom is better than Bombardier was at building trains (I know they're merged now) but they still struggle with the details. Having something from an Asian company would be amazing.
KevinT
Active Member
A curious statement given that the TTC's Bombardier Flexity Outlooks and Waterloo Region's Flexity Freedoms have both run several years now with minimal issues, while Ottawa's Alstom Citadis vehicles are endlessly floundering. The Flexities had their teething problems, sure, but they were relatively quickly sorted.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
... and Edmonton's LRT seems to have had no vehicle issues of note either.
Chris R.
Senior Member
Hence the mention of the details. Alstom trains have a better design, and I think have a better interior usability, but they struggle on the important details.
Therefore it would be nice to see alternative options from other manufacturers.
felix123
Active Member
Several orders of magnitude costlier? Are you saying that it's at least 100x more expensive to run a grade-separated metro than an LRT?
DC83
Senior Member
“Major LRT construction will not happen next year as once hoped — and the city’s schedule to rebuild Main Street is raising more questions about when shovels will actually hit the ground for the oft-delayed light-rail project.”
www.thespec.com
Smh..
LRT mega project in Hamilton faces further delays: Two-way Main Street construction pushed to 2026 start
City wants to convert Main to bidirectional before major LRT construction starts in the parallel King Street corridor. But that two-way project is now not expected to be done until
www.thespec.com
Smh..
DC83
Senior Member
Again, the B-Line LRT plan was a result of the RAPID READY study, which was done to find a RAPID TRANSIT solution for Hamilton.
You can’t just keep repeating this new “it was never about rapid transit” narrative hoping it sticks.
This was always about Rapid Transit, with infrastructure upgrades as a side bonus to win over suburban voters.
Either way, there’s nothing rapid about 17 years of talk, a dozen different renders, and countless delays with zero action.
This whole fiasco is going to be used as a wedge issue in the next election. This city is obsessed with this political football.
BrenWilson
Active Member
Hopefully it means there will be more bidders on the rolling stock which will bring down the price. The Quebec City tram had 2 and then only 1 bidder (Alstom and Siemens, then just Alstom) and the price was astronomical.
Amare
Senior Member
Well in Quebec's case, we all know how much they love protecting their precious companies (in this case former company). Let's not forget Alstom has a plant in La Pocatière that they inherited from Bombardier which, i'm sure the QC government was angling to utilize.
Chris R.
Senior Member
I saw @Reecemartin video about that and really hope Hamilton doesn't run into a similar situation. Transit is so damn expensive in North America and it's in large part a result of protectionist regulations (which I am in part in favour of in certain circumstances) and also the lack of transit manufacturers available in North America, in part, likely again because of those protectionist regulations.