Posted December 22, 2019
New Campaign asks Premier to fix Mulroney's mistake and help get Hamilton LRT back on track.
Hamilton has done the hard work. Over a decade of planning, over 70 votes of city council, 7 provincial and municipal elections voting for leaders that support LRT, thousands of Hamiltonians expressing their support, business leaders investing millions of dollars along the LRT route.
We've done the hard work. All we want is fairness for Hamilton. Hamilton Light Rail is calling on Premier Ford to fix Mulroney's mistake and help get Hamilton LRT back on track.
Last year, Premier Ford said, "I support building the Hamilton LRT because the people of this great city deserve a working transit system. This is an investment that will create jobs, countless new jobs and stimulate economic development." After the last municipal election, Premier Ford said, "When people democratically elect someone, if [Mayor Eisenberger] wants an LRT, he's gonna get an LRT...that's democracy."
Hamilton Light Rail is asking supporters of LRT to contact Premier Ford with a clear message:
Minister Mulroney made a mistake here but the Premier can fix it. It's not too late to do the right thing for the people of Hamilton. Hamilton has done the hard work. All we're asking for is fair treatment as compared to Mississauga, which just received a $4.6 billion contract over 30 years for their LRT.
"Many dispute Minister Mulroney's cost estimates for Hamilton's LRT. But even if we take them at face value, we still want the province to fund Hamilton to the same level as Mississauga. This past October, Metrolinx awarded a $4.6 billion contract over 30 years to build, operate and maintain a LRT system in Mississauga. If this requires adjusting the length of the route, just follow Metrolinx policy and and find cost savings or scale back the project to fit the budget. This is what they did with Mississauga. Why does Hamilton have to play by a different set of rules?"
Hamilton Light Rail is an independent community group who believes that Hamilton needs an ambitious approach to economic development and urban revitalization based around high quality rapid transit. To that end, we are dedicated to promoting the goal of building a light rail transit (LRT) system in Hamilton. Hamilton Light Rail is strictly volunteer-based and is not affiliated with the Corporation of the City of Hamilton or with any commercial interests. For information visit www.hamiltonlightrail.ca.
