Statement by matthew nash

Dear Mr. Collins, honourable councillors:
This letter is to express my support for LRT for its verified transportation, economic and social benefits.
First, creating an efficient transportation system is a challenge in Hamilton. However, building more roads is not the answer. If there’s anything that traffic engineers have discovered in the last few decades it’s that you can’t build your way out of congestion. It’s the roads themselves that cause traffic. Anti-LRT Tweets cannot change this unassailable fact (sorry Chad). Chris Higgins, the post-doctoral fellow who authored a paper on the LRT and its effective use, recently stated "As you build more roads, it just means more people drive." Be humbled and take the advice of the experts who understand best practices of transportation. We need logical, efficient transportation systems such as the LRT to solve our mounting congestion.
Second, numerous studies have argued conclusively for the many economic benefits. Let me state the first obvious economic benefit: 1. Billion. Dollars. This is money we are being given to grow our fledgling economy. This is a winning lottery ticket that you'd be throwing away, then taking the interest away from future generations. Also, road building is one of the biggest expenses for a city. The LRT reduces road building by taking people out of cars and using the transport network more efficiently. Further, property values will increase along the route further driving property tax revenue up with it. Hamilton needs the LRT to bring economic prosperity.
Lastly, the social benefits of LRT are immense. We have a diverse demographic living in the downtown that needs a clean, quick and safe mode of transit. The LRT emits almost no pollution, ensuring our most vulnerable are not burdened even more by poor local air quality - see the local code red report or the global UN pollution report if you've forgotten the serious health effects of city pollution. Moreover, climate change is causing disastrous flooding, especially in my Rosedale community, and we must take big steps to curb greenhouse gases, of which, LRT is a key initiative.
All Hamiltonians will benefit from a congestion-relieving, cost-benefitting, revenue-generating, and pollution-reducing project. Look at the facts, the numerous reports, and listen to experts who've all come out in favour. Don't stand in the way of community-building. Don't turn your back on a billion dollars (really?). The future is LRT.

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