All Statements of Support
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Raymond Braun says,
Yes, go ahead and let Hamilton have it's long deserved LRT
We lost our 31 yrs. ago with the Monorail up the mountain through a tunnel. - and again now - NOT. FAIR !!
Kitchener has one, you are building one in Mississauga,
Ottawa, Toronto a.o.'s. - and leave Hamilton out ???
PLEASE............. -
Richard Trebilcock says,
This was an incredible betrayal of the people of Hamilton. Seems an obvious gift to Mississauga at Hamilton’s expense. This provincial government does not represent all of the people of Ontario, is not “For the People” and, is apparently not “Open for Business”.
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Joseph Frank says,
If Ontario is open for business, the Ford government would approve long-gestating, empirically-proven, and already-supported projects that will usher our cities into the next decade and engender economic growth. The cancellation of Hamilton's LRT is cavalier and partisan. Govern above and beyond pettiness and in the spirit for economic growth used to win office.
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Matteo Pietraccini says,
I live in Hamilton. I was born here as well. I've spent enough time in other, larger (and smaller), more (and less) metropolitan cities than Hamilton to know that all of them work better with a well-planned LRT system as the backbone of their public transit system, supported by a robust and well-planned bus network.
Hamilton needs LRT for one major factor alone: we have no more room for roads at the rate we are growing unless we wish to commit to a major redevelopment of a huge portion of our city instead of a major development to a relatively small part of the city that will have massive positive repercussions for decades to come.
Hamilton is part of the backbone of Ontario's economy. As the third largest city in Ontario, Hamilton plays a vital role in Ontario's economy. Hamilton's growth means Ontario's growth.
Please restore the LRT project.
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Karan Van Patter says,
Hamilton needs LRT. Don't break your promise (again) and don't assume everyone in Hamilton supports the NDP. You will lose many, many votes on this.
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Adam Kuzick says,
As someone who depends on public transit, as well as a proponent of cleaner technologies, we should be focusing on public transit over personal cars.
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Sarah Wayland says,
Dear elected officials:
I did not want this year to end without writing to ask that every effort be made to revive LRT in Hamilton. I have followed this issue and read extensively on this topic and believe that LRT provides the best option for our city to intensify, encourage new development, and increase public transit ridership.
I implore Premier Ford to uphold his promises to the people of Hamilton, and to do restore funding for this project. So many plans have been put in place, and so much is at stake.
If the final bids do come in over budget, our leaders can then make an informed decision.
Thanks for your consideration.
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Daniel Botham says,
Let the Hamilton LRT bids get submitted by the three consortiums who have spent almost a year preparing their bids for this project. Receiving these bids is the only way to get a real estimate of the cost of this project. The numbers from these consortiums carry more credibility than Ford's numbers because these companies have skin in the game.
When premiere Ford cancels the competitive bid process just months before the due date for bids it is a real slap in the face to businesses who think they can build this project on budget.
Premiere Ford's action say that Ontario is not open to business.
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Jonathan Deveau says,
Cancelling a major infrastructure project should not be a decision taken so lightly. We've already invested so much time, effort, and many taxpayer dollars into this. To quit without giving it a fair chance means that we don't get any return on this investment, it's all for nothing. We would have been better off never attempting a large project in the first place. Will we even have the confidence to embark on our next endeavor? That's a sad state of affairs for a city and a province to be in.
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Jennifer Kaye says,
I was tremendously excited by the LRT project, knowing that it would be transformational in its impact on Hamilton - and that the transformation would benefit citizens of all socio-economic descriptions. While the past decade has been good for Hamilton in many ways, it has not been good for all citizens equally.
When I drive down King St. E., and I see the many boarded-up buildings, awaiting the arrival of LRT, I feel heartsick. This was a disadvantaged neighbourhood to begin with. Now it is a decimated neighbourhood, with no hope of imminent improvement.
LRT will benefit all Hamiltonians, even those who never use it themselves. Please reverse your short-sighted and mean-spirited decision to kill the project.
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Meagan Tutti says,
Do what you said you would do.
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Susie O’Brien says,
For what other transportation project do cost estimates include 30-year operating costs? The rationale for cancelling this project is so weak, we can only conclude that the Ford government—including Donna Skelly—has such contempt for Hamiltonians, they think that we are too stupid/passive to question it. It’s important to fight back not just to try and get this project restored, but also to show that the people of this city are smarter and tougher than they imagined.
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Lyle Jobe says,
With more and more people making the move to this city the traffic is becoming incredibly congested. Let’s provide the people of Hamilton with optional transportation around the city to help alleviate this growing issue. The LRT will be what this rapidly changing city needs to make it a model for all cities in southern Ontario.
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A C says,
Since returning to live in the Hamilton area many years ago I have followed the debates on the proposed
LRT here. I have attended meetings, read reports and heard many, many arguments, both pro and con. Ultimately, after reviewing the facts, I became a strong supporter of the project and the benefits that experts (Metrolinx, urban planners, and others) suggested could arise from its completion (these positives seem to be occurring in K-W, Ottawa and other places where LRT’s have been built).
Whether related to reducing pollution and congestion, addressing our woeful local infrastructure crisis, allowing improved business opportunities, building a stronger tax base or, simply, providing a better alternative for residents here to traverse our core, I realized it won on all levels.
Thus, it didn’t surprise me that in the last provincial election all of the parties seeking my support seemed to agree on the project’s merits and that it should be built if retaining funding promises and building LRT were what the local electorate wished for. This was clearly stated in the subsequent municipal election.
Then… Just before Christmas, in a gong show announcement, the province (ie. the currently ruling party) abruptly, and without any publicly accessible justification, pulled the plug and sidelined the project based on, what?... spite it seems. We may have a long history of electing Liberal and NDP candidates here in Hamilton but decisions like this confirm why we do!
I am mad that the current government has thrown business decisions, based on electoral promises, into chaos; that the years of hard work studying what the best transit solution for Hamilton is have been arbitrarily dismissed, and; that Hamiltonians will not be able to enjoy the benefits that I (and many, many better versed experts on the topic) believe would have resulted from its construction.
With this decision, the current government has, to my mind, shown itself to be spitefully, not factually, orientated; anti-business; anti-facts, and anti-environment. It also, strangely, given the circumstance, seems willing to squander hundreds of millions of dollars to scratch an itch it didn’t need to notice. That’s wise? I don’t think so.
As such, I hope the current government will return to Hamilton and announce a subsequent decision/reversal on the LRT that it doesn’t need to run from. The future is longer than an electoral cycle and this is no way to govern for the future. Business/environmental/urban planning decisions are not made on four year terms. -
Angela Morgan says,
Cancelling the LRT is irresponsible. The democratic process worked, the voters in Hamilton voted for the LRT. The Ford government needs to respect the democratic process. We have planned for this project and our city is depending on it. Political grudges/positions play no role in building a great city. A healthy Hamilton leads to a prosperous Ontario.
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Dorothy Taylor says,
We all have benefited from the First Industrial Revolution which took innovation, leadership and enthusiastic workers to bring manufacturing to present day .
Climate Revolution requires the same vision of innovation,leadership and forward moving citizens that know
climate change will not stopI am in total support of L.R.T and urge Premier ford to apply the leadership needed to put this project back on track.
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Max Labelle says,
I absolutely vote to bring the LRT to Hamilton. The infrastructure resulting from its installation is sorely needed for this city to move forward.
Year after year we find some way to screw up initiatives or they are taken away by government. I can only imagine what the rest of Canada thinks as before the LRT being shut down we have “Sewer-gate”. Who would want to move here or even stay?
The implications of this being eliminated are enormous and cannot be understated.
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Caitlin McGarry says,
It’s time for Hamilton to consider the future- for our children, and for their children. It’s time for investment in transit, decreasing our fuel consumption, and investing in Hamilton so that we can stand on our own two feet as a city- not just act as a bedroom community for Toronto!
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Jack McAuley says,
The time is perfect for Hamilton LRT
Building now before potential ridership grows out of control keeps costs down. Just look at the predicament Toronto is in with public transportation. We need LRT as people migration from Toronto to Hamilton escallates, and oh yes, a positive (not like the useless Carbon Tax), affect on climate change. MR Ford, let's get it done.
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Stephen Officer says,
LRT is critical to ensure that transit is more accessible and sustainable in Hamilton moving forward!
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Ameriga Alonzo says,
Please reinstate the LRT project for Hamilton. It will revitalize the city and be a big boost to retail and other businesses. Perhaps we can court some larger businesses to the area once we have LRT. Please.
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Edith Chavez says,
Hamilton as any other city needs efficient, cost effective and smart public transportation, economic and social growth wouldn’t be possible without it
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Angie Bennett says,
Hamilton has worked for years to build a sustainable transition system. The LRT is a fundamental component of the transportation system. By halting funding midway through the project the government of Ontario has told everyone it is not trustworthy or a reliable partner. Please restore LRT funding for Hamilton
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Sandy McIntosh says,
Why does it make any sense to cancel the bid submission process and development planning currently underway and so far along at this stage? There must be some other explanation or plan B??? Far too much time, effort and money has been invested and substantially greater returns and benefit to our City and a Province will be lost without a detailed follow up to this recent announcement.
Sandy McIntosh
Incredibly shocked taxpayer, Architect & Urban Designer -
Scott Baird says,
Cancelling Hamilton’s LRT wreaks of nefarious partisanship, it’s an act of climate change denial, and it steals the wealth and livelihoods of Hamiltonians who were planning for a more prosperous future that projects like the LRT elicit. Cancelling the LRT is morally, socially, and environmentally wrong, likely illegal, and must be undone.
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Rod Murray says,
Just like K-W, Mississauga, & Toronto, Hamilton needs to be able to plan for the future with the certainty that rapid transit brings to business. The residents of Hamilton deserve no less than any other major city.
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Lauren Stephen says,
Growing cities need excellent transit options. LRT will reduce pollution and traffic congestion in our city, and help get people where they need to go.
Young professionals, young families want viable transit options. They want the option to walk to the store, to bike, to take a train downtown...
If Hamilton doesn't provide those options, it will lose out to other cities that do.
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Cliff Rogers says,
LRT will spur growth, and create jobs.
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Jana Kumar says,
Hamilton needs LRT. Cancelling the LRT impacts the growth of Hamilton. There is a huge monies already spent in study for last several years. It’s all tax payers money and now if you cancel this project those go to drain.
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David Wootton says,
I have made my statement to my MPP in a good long letter. Essentially, I told him that I would NOT vote for him if the L R T in Hamilton were not re-instated. He wrote me back with the usual Ford P C line of "thought".
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