Statement by Andrew Pettit

I have been a long-time supporter of the Hamilton LRT project based on the economic, environmental and quality of life impacts. Most notable are 3 factors:

(1) The renewal of other infrastructure systems tied into the project (water, sewer), that Hamilton will otherwise eventually need to foot the bill to replace; and

(2) The density LRT will support and the impact that will have on our currently out-of-balance tax structure (e.g., too heavily skewed to residents based on a history of high-cost-per-service-offered sprawl and industry decline); and

(3) We either have a transit system in the core of the city (to be expanded elsewhere in the future, but we have to start somewhere!) to allow for the growth that is to come, or we will be lost and left behind in gridlock of our own making.

And that was before COVID and the economic recovery needed!! And before the Federal government agreed to join in, bringing the total Fed/Prov contribution to $3.4 billion!!!!!! I can't add enough "!!!!!!".

For council to be anything but unequivocal in our excitement and support for this project will go down as a legacy of gross failure. Alternatively, to embrace and build it will be a city-building legacy the likes of which few leaders ever have opportunity to dream of.

So yes, get all the details sorted, understand the costs, plan around the implications, but don't play games with the opportunity: Make our interest and support 100% clear to the Federal and Provincial partners at the table.

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