All Statements of Support
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Anne Wilson says,
Hamilton has always been a resilient and resourceful city. We used to be a tobacco city, we used to be an appliance city; but we don't dwell on these things. Most recently we canned perishible fruits;now we have pear cider. We are a city that changes with economic tides. We adapt. We take chances. We recognize a good thing when we see it. We used to be a light rail city. Well, its time to be a light rail city again. Light rail is both an economic and ecologic leap into our future, and a firm hold on our heritage. What could possibly be more Hamiltonian than the LRT?
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Daniel Jelly says,
LRT is an opportunity that Hamilton should be grabbing with both hands. Seldom does a project come along that will enhance the lives of so many and lead to innumerable economic and social spinoff benefits. The short term sacrifice will pay dividends for generations to come, providing citizens from all walks of life a safe and reliable form of transportation and neighbourhoods designed around people, not just around the automobile.
LRT is the beginning of a transformation to a healthier, more livable Hamilton. As we continue to feel the effects of volatile fossile fuel prices and increased population density, LRT will help insulate our local economy by providing an affordable and convenient form of transit when other options become unsustainable or unattractive.
We are not just building LRT for today, we are building it for a future generation of Hamiltonians who will demand more than the status quo. If we don't build it, they will move to cities who already have, and it will be just that much harder for us to catch up.
I can understand that in a world driven by 4-year election cycles it's difficult to commit to a project that will be built and completed by successive governments. I encourage all of our elected representatives to look past the ballot box and lead boldly. LRT is an opportunity to build something big, a true legacy that will help tie our community together and define what Hamilton will become.
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David Wootton says,
I understand that Toronto is getting its LRT free at Ontario government's expense. That is my tax dollars going to support Toronto - again! It is time that the Ontario Government support and pay for an LRT system in Hamilton. I will vote for whoever promisses this
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Melanie Olsa says,
It's time to make a commitment to the future we all envision for the city of Hamilton.
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Wendy Jackson says,
"Whenever and wherever societies have flourished and prospered rather than stagnated and decayed, creative and workable cities have been at the core of the phenomenon. Decaying cities, declining economies, and mounting social troubles travel together. The combination is not coincidental.
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David Hosten says,
I have lived in cities with LRT and have enjoyed the utility of it, and now that Hamilton has a chance to get it, I want to be sure we do not blow that opportunity.
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Dan Thompson says,
Beyond the obvious benefits to local businesses and freeing up parking lots, I think light rail has real potential to reignite civic pride in Hamilton as a city and a prosperous place to live. Hamilton has the potential to place itself amongst the ranks of Canada's more desirable cities, with its affordable housing stock, excellent regional transit links, and strong and diverse economy. A crucial piece in this puzzle is to break the stigma of Hamilton (which is profound in much of Canada) by taking on this exciting and game-changing task.
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Kim Doucette says,
I feel it's important that we don't give up on the LRT. Hamilton is a wonderful city that has been ignored for too long. As we struggle to reinvent ourselves an LRT is critical for our future.
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Sevhra Reda says,
It's time the people take control of our city. Our leadership is dysfunctional and LRT is a must for Hamilton. It's time the old guard step away and let the new leaders and citizens of this city take action. Unfortunately some of our most significant leaders don't believe in the city the way the people do.
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Rolf Lutz says,
Our political leaders have an obligation to develop public transit options that are clearly the right choice for the long term. Light Rail fits this criteria perfectly, and will contribute significantly to the development of its neighbourhoods and well being and productivity of its citizens. Failure to move forward on this file will set Hamilton, the GTA and Ontario back for decades to come.
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Patrick McCafferty says,
I call on every member of City Council to debunk allegations that a provincial guarantee for a new Pan-Am stadium was traded behind the closed door of the Mayor's office in exchange for the City's agreement to decline Metrolinx funding for LRT on the premise that it is not a priority for Hamilton at this time. Please stand and speak up to reaffirm that Hamiltonians indeed want and need LRT to restore our place as not just another bedroom adjunct to Toronto, but a thriving, more independent and Ambitious City.
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Ray Fullerton says,
LRT is a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the City of Hamilton!
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alex young says,
LIGHT RAIL CITY
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Juliette Prouse says,
Please reinstate plans for the LRT. Hamilton needs to become a city of the future and modern public transportation should be a cornerstone of this vision!
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Robert Prouse says,
I was extremely disappointed when I learned that the city council was cooling on the idea of light rail in Hamilton in favor of pursuing all day GO service.
I don't understand why the two are mutually exclusive. All day GO service is fine for people who live in Hamilton, but work elsewhere, but the LRT is about re-vitalizing the city and creating jobs in Hamilton.
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Eric Nanayakkara says,
Hamilton needs a modern day solution to public transportation and LRT most certainly presents itself as a leading option. Political lip service is no replacment for courageous action. Come on Hamilton, we can get this right!
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Molly Merriman says,
Hamilton is in the perfect position to rediscover the dynamic, efficient and lively city that currently lies dormant in its genes and history. Choosing light rail is just so obvious; it is a modest, civilized and smart way to connect and make accessible our city's neighbourhoods. Good public transit combined with safe pedestrian and bike routes is truly the way of the future; we need to ACT NOW! Let's make traveling around the city fun, easy and cheap and make Hamilton a more welcoming place for everyone.
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Mara Adams says,
I live in an area that will not have direct access to the B-Line LRT; however, I do recognize the inherent benefits of intensification, the LRT initiative and secondary planning and development. In the end, all the citizens of Hamilton will pay for our successes and failures. We need to leverage whatever we can from the province to ensure our sustainability moving forward.
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Agata Mancini says,
This would transform the city into something incredible. Hamilton is changing, transforming into a positive force and this is the next, clear step to help propel this change.
Please make this a reality; stop stalling and making excuses. It's time for Hamilton to step up and take her future into her own hands.
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Ron Cassidy says,
We need to press the Ontario Government (in this case the Liberals) to keep it's commitment to fully funding LRT Line-B and Line-A as promised in the 2007 elections. We should not vote for any party who will not live up to this past promise. We also need to curtail Mayor Bratina's utter disrespect for the political due process. Last time I checked he was 1 singular vote on council, yet he continues to operate unilaterally against council decisions. He has thrown LRT under the bus and opened the door to Premier McGuinty to nix his LRT promise to Hamilton as "The Mayor (Mr Unilateral) has told the Premier that LRT is not a priority in Hamilton, so please don't spend the $1 Billion you promised us for LRT! Since when does any Moyor have this much power. He must be STOPPED.
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Lee Skinner says,
Invest in moving people within Hamilton, not shuttling them out of Hamilton. Please and thank you.
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Mike Borrelli says,
Hamilton is faced with two options: 1) the status quo of building sprawling box malls, subdivisions and highways on greenfields; or 2) a denser, more sustainable future where we take advantage of existing infrastructure and re-build our core.
#1 requires nothing of us except a willingness to face the expensive consequences down the road. #2 requires longterm vision, and a transit system like LRT that will strengthen our downtown and turn it into the economic engine that sustains the City.
I'm not satisfied with the costs of the status quo, so I support LRT as just one piece of a larger plan that will revitalize Hamilton and make us more resilient in the face of an uncertain future.
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Kathy Woo says,
Hamilton needs LRT. The long-term effect of the project would benefit the city in simple ways--efficient transportation to track down arrival times, economic growth for the city, contribution to a greener future, and a status that Hamilton is in-tune with this method of transportation that has been well-received in Toronto, Waterloo etc.
As a student, efficiency in LRT is probably the highlighting reason for having this for our future.
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Cheryl Kipling says,
I don't have any wonderful words of wisdom, or insight that hasn't been stated already. My point of view is only that of the commuter.
As a resident of Hamilton who travels the B-Line route on a daily basis, I urge you to reconsider your support of LRT in Hamilton. We need LRT. The B-Line is is well beyond capacity. There are days three buses bypass my stop because they are full. Adding more buses will be extremely difficult. Not only do we need a lot more buses, we need drivers for those buses. Only LRT makes sense as an alternative. And LRT will become more necessary as more and more people take public transit.
Please support LRT in Hamilton.
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Andrew Richardson says,
LRT is an absolute necessity not only for the continued growth of Hamilton, but also for the sake of improving accessibility throughout the city.
As a former Vice President of the McMaster Students Union, I can say without equivocation that students have long asked for improved access to not only McMaster campus, but the rest of the city.
If Hamilton is serious about improving the viability of the downtown core for student living, LRT is one of the best, and simplest means at our disposal.
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Mary Koziol says,
I firmly support bringing LRT to Hamilton. If we want to move forward with the sustainable, economically strong and people-centred Hamilton of which we dream, LRT is a must.
I recently graduated from McMaster University and decided to stay here and work because I love Hamilton. The decision regarding LRT will weigh heavily on whether I choose to stay here long term or not.
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Ren M says,
This would add a new and interesting twist to Hamilton!Would like so see this in service next time I visit there! Who is the prospective Manafacturer of the LRT trains? Bombardier I hope!
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Jennifer Hennigar-Shuh says,
I strongly reaffirm my belief that the LRT is absolutely the right direction for Hamilton to go to the new mayor and city council.
Hamilton is a large city but with inadequate, inefficient, and inconvenient public transportation which forces people to drive to get around.
As a resident of Hamilton for more than two decades, but who has lived in other large cities, I am frustrated by how difficult it is for me to commute to work using public transportation. Because of this difficulty it takes me an inordinate amount of time getting to and from work.
I have tried to avoid using a car for commuting and have done so successfully for years by cycling and walking and taking the bus but the truth is that the inefficiency in the public transportation is waring me down. There are many things that are not practical to do by bicycle and walking (often I walk because the bus routes are not well designed and too much transferring and back tracking is required). I am almost ready to throw in the towel and start driving because my travel time commuting is so long it means that I have little time to take care of things at home.
I am also frustrated by how difficult it is to enjoy the culture, green spaces, museums and other wonderful things that Hamilton has to offer because of the lack of good public transportation. It is nice that the mayor wants to improve GO service in and out of the city but I would like to be able to more fully enjoy being in my own city and that can only help our economy.
The LRT would make us a city that is greener, innovative and forward thinking, and one that supports its local economy and culture instead of taking everyone efficiently somewhere else.
Hamilton needs the LRT system to help bring together the various areas of the city, offer people practical alternatives to driving and make Hamilton a city that is enjoyable to live, work, and get around in.
I ask the mayor and city council, the premiere, and our MPP, and MP, to put the LRT back on Hamilton's priority list once again.
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Mark Figliola says,
I moved to Hamilton from Vancouver last year. In Vancouver they have an LRT system called the sky train. This was offered first to Hamilton free of charge in the '80s and with their usual foresight they turned it down. Don't blow it again!!!!
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John Sweeney says,
LRT is needed to invigorate and renew the city's core. Healthy cities must maintain a balanced mix of both residential and commercial properties to remain viable. Car culture is rooted in 20th century thinking and urban sprawl is not a practical or sustainable for cities, which are increasingly becoming independent from higher tiers of government for their own well being. LRT can attract business and residents alike, which would increase urban overall tax revenues, in the years ahead.
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