Statement by Sarah Newman

I rode the HSR to and from school every day of high school. When I moved to Ottawa two years ago to attend university, the first thing I noticed was the public transit; it is just so much better here. In my opinion, the O-Train LRT line is what cinches it.

An LRT would vastly improve transit in Hamilton, and make transit a more attractive option to commuters. Here in Ottawa, I ride the O-Train to school every day, and it is vastly superior to a bus -- it cuts my travel time down exponentially, it is a comfortable and smooth ride, it is always on time, as opposed to a buses reliance on good traffic. BRT lanes are an essential facet of al large city's transit plan but they are not a substitute for an LRT, monorail, or subway system. Ottawa's LRT allows me to live in an affordable neighbourhood farther away from my university, and still be able to make it to class in 30 minutes. I believe the same could be done for many areas in Hamilton, perhaps allowing downtown core residents to easily work in affluent Stoney Creek, or allowing McMaster students to easily live outside of pricey Westdale.

When I lived in Hamilton, I hated taking transit. Now that I have access to the O-Train LRT, it's fast and easy. Take Ottawa's example and don't turn down the $1 billion LRT grant -- it's helping us build a shortcut to downtown right now.

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