Statement by Paul Raun
Light rail will allow us to provide cost effective, rapid, transit over the extent of Hamilton's urbanised area, as well as offering a more comfortable ride that attracts greatly increased ridership. We are in situation where we are relying increasingly on energy sources that yield markedly less net energy. The US's reliance on shale oil, with a rapid depletion rate and recent reports of decreasing well productivity, and Canada's on the Tars Sands, where the remaining 80% of deposits will very likely yield low net energy(less than three units of energy returned per unit of energy invested, close to low-yielding biofuels such as ethanol), show the predicament we increasingly face and for which it is crucial for us to plan. Light rail relies on a variety of energy sources, not simply one(petroluem) as buses do or batteries or fuel cells (which involve a high level of embodied energy and use of rare earth minerals. In this context, electric motors, deriving power through a direct current, provide an energy efficient way of moving relatively large numbers of riders quickly. It is vital to start building light rail lines now,before our predicament kicks in fully, in conjunction with developing a more compact urban form for cities such as Hamilton along with suburban areas across the GTA.
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