All Statements of Support
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Nadine Ubl says,
I support the LRT 100%. The impact to our city during the building process will be a small price to pay for the immeasurable benefit Hamilton will see once it is complete. As a Hamilton resident and multiple business owner, I am in full support!!
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Robert Spiering says,
I support LRT.
Not because of blind faith. I see it as an investment in our city as a whole. A one billion investment in transit, in jobs for many hamiltonians, and a strong statement about supporting public transit for all of those that use it, and want dedicated lines to continue using it......I ask our councillor from other wards to think a little outside their wards, to not turn away provincial investment, to not pander to the dissenting voters out of fear for there poling numbers....and to think about future transit....I use transit now and hope my city council can envision this as positive growth for our city. Please don't turn away this investment. -
Ute Schmid-Jones says,
Saying YES to Hamilton's LRT project is a progressive step towards a sustainable and healthy city of the future. Let's make Hamilton a great place to live for EVERYONE!
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Gary Dennis says,
Say yes now and sweat the small details later.
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Matt Pinder says,
I wholeheartedly support the construction of the Hamilton LRT project, for the following reasons:
- Permanent, quality transportation infrastructure that will meet the needs of residents for years to come
- The opportunity to reduce trips taken by car in the city, something that is imperative as we move to meet ambitious climate targets
- The influx of intensification that will occur along the corridor as a result, which will help the city meet the newly established GTHA intensification requirements of 60%
- The profound impact this project will have on the pedestrian environment downtown, creating walkable neighbourhoods and safe street crossingsI hope council makes the right choice tomorrow and accepts this one-in-a-generation offer from the province. Brampton turned down their LRT and has become the laughing stock of the GTHA as a result – let’s not make Hamilton the next embarrassment.
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Gordon Burt says,
We Need LRT to develop downtown, attract business and make it a better place to.live. We want LRT to make Harbour Living convenient.
I would love to live in the Harbour area when I retire and use LRT, the GO train and walk to my favorite restaurant.
Enough bully boy rants from councillors like Whitehead who think their ward is their fiefdom.Thanks ,
Gord Burt -
Sue Yarwood says,
We absolutely need strong leadership by our elected officials to embrace the transformative LRT infrastructure....no more debates, no more delays, no more punting it down the line for others to deal with it! This council has the opportunity to become remembered for decades as the one with enough vision and backbone to really invest in this city's future.
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James Scarfone says,
I would like to strongly re-affirm my support for LRT in Hamilton.
Recently, our family moved to Kirkendall so that we could live in a healthy, vibrant, walkable and transit-friendly community.
When we learned our great city was receiving $1 billion to build light rail, we couldn't wait to learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our growing city.
I would hope our esteemed leaders would not hesitate to say a resounding yes to such a transforming project.
Please vote in favour of LRT so that we can continue the great momentum happening right now in Hamilton.
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Stephanie McLarty says,
As a business owner in and resident of Hamilton Ward 3, I fully support the LRT plan moving forward. There will be inconvenience and impact, for sure, but the longterm gain and benefit of the LRT is unquestionable. Businesses have to adapt and evolve to changing circumstances, and we see this as one of those times -- and at the end, there will be new infrastructure in place to help our businesses. It is totally worth it.
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Khaled Shaaban says,
LRT is the City's ride to the future! I fully support LRT
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Brad Stapleton says,
Maintaining the status quo is simply unacceptable for the City of Hamilton. A diversified public transit System is the backbone of a vibrant city. It's outrageous that Council is even considering scrapping this.
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Allison Jack says,
I fully support lRT in Hamilton. I do not have a car so this is really.imoortant tj me.
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Douglas Gerow says,
I am so confused with all of you in our city council! Why would you even think twice of the proposed LRT plan??
Why would you turn your noses up to One Billion Dollars to be invested in a city that has sat in a shadow for so long??
OMG guys and gals!! You were elected by us to lead us into the future..
I did not vote for this high school game or clowning around when there is a very large sum of money to update Hamilton here! You all are lacking any sort of pride in this city, and it's clearly seen by all.
Embarrassing really.. -
Michael Rinaldi says,
I 100% support LRT, it is time to build!
I lived through this in Vancouver with the Skytrain debate, it went through in spite of noisy opposition and fear, and the final result is undeniably positive on all fronts.
Please don't take backwards steps, this is the best time for a project like this and it has already been approved! Let's continue moving forward!! -
Aaron Lamers says,
3 out of 4 of my family members will benefit from LRT implementation on this route. I will struggle to make my way by car across the lower city but I beleive that this is a worthwhile sacrifice. Our future transportation goals must include LRT!
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james skimming says,
For Hamilton, this is a no brainer. Hamilton is on the cusp of becoming Canada's Portland - and Portland does LRT well.
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Peter Graefe says,
The LRT is a project that will build the whole city. Beyond the jobs generated in building it, one finds another quarter century of good paying trades work in the redevelopment and intensification that will occur along the line.
It is also a project that makes sense in a dollars and cents perspective as it provides a chance to replace the ageing infrastructure along the route, providing a large pay-off for the city in addition to adding higher order transit.
Finally, the province's own growth plans make clear that Hamilton's growth will have to happen through densification, infill and the repurposing of existing land. The LRT is a project that will help achieve those goals, and so sets the basis for our city's future prosperity.
I have to say, when the LRT was first proposed years ago, I was sceptical. But I have been persuaded by the economic, efficiency and city-building case for it. It disappoints me that Council keeps trying to find ways to backpedal on this project, rather than investing the energy to ensure it makes the largest contribution possible to the city-building goals that we share.
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Bruno Moos says,
Every new home built in a subdivision will add one to four cars to our streets and highways, but our cities were not built for cars.
To accommodate city streets to car traffic, massive destructive interventions have destroyed livelihood and lifestyle and caused, as we well know by now, enormous damage to the environment.
We can only recuperate the cities or our living spaces by rethinking away from carbon dependent individual transit and change to comfortable, rapid and easily accessible public transit.
Starting by building the B-line in lower hamilton but very importantly, extend the system with A-line, preferably by tunneling up the escarpment to connect upper Hamilton to downtown and the airport to the GO station. A second north-south line parallel to the A-line should link upper to lower Hamilton in a walking distance of not more than 400m from the user.
Interest rates are at historic low, the best time to invest into the future. Infrastructural investments of this kind are meant for 100 years and more. There is plenty of time to amortise even huge investments over this period of time (as it happened in many parts of the world) and remember, people pay a user fee, not like driving on the road. Our future is not the danger of a financial indebtedness, our future is an unreparable damage to the environment and to the city unless we wake up now. -
Dianna Gillespie says,
Current public transit isn't working !
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Connie Kidd says,
Hamilton's downtown is fast becoming a draw to young and energetic people. Instead of being a burned out boarded up place to leave when they grow up, downtown Hamilton is becoming the place to be for young people making their homes, families and livelihoods here, and creating active and involved neighbourhoods.
Critical to that is improved mass transit development downtown with connections to all areas of the city and to other cities. The LRT will serve the entire community, not just downtown. It will spur residential and commercial development to serve the needs of those moving downtown, create employment along the corridor, connect residents to places of employment more efficiently, and move all of Hamilton into a new era.
Obviously, for full effectiveness the LRT will also require improved transit connections and service throughout the whole city, outlying areas and other cities. That demand will build naturally as the LRT becomes a reality, as will the identification and allocation of funds for increased service to connect to downtown. Area ratings will have to be reevaluated as area demands for transit become clearer.
City leaders now just have to take the first step: accept $1b in funding and build the LRT.
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Brendan Wilson says,
I moved to Hamilton to raise my family. I am proud to be from here because I see the way this city is moving in to the future. It makes me sad to think we could miss an opportunity to grow our city.
A billion dollars for LRT would create a lot of jobs for people in this city. It would encourage commerce along the affected area. It would create a city where walking is encouraged. People in other cities - of all stripes and socioeconomic backgrounds take the train. It will not just be used by the people who live in the community.
This year I have started working as a postal worker and I am delighted to have the opportunity to walk deep into the neighbourhoods that this LRT will serve. Main and King themselves are blighted in many places - empty storefronts, dilapidated buildings. What many don't see is how bright and vibrant the neighbourhoods nearby are. The LRT could serve these neighbourhoods, lift them up and bring King St to life.
What you see in other cities with mass transit is that the area around them is bolstered. Can you imagine the train before and after a Ticats game? Or leaving an event at Copps? Bustling and full of people proud of where they are from. Most people will be able to take transit home, even if they need to connect to a bus elsewhere.
There have been lots of projects that have served other parts of the city. Projects designed for the inner city only face resistance from the mountain and the rural areas. I see how projects for other parts of the city have helped me - I don't use the RHVP or Linc every day, but when I need them, I am glad they are there. Why hold such contempt for people in other parts of the city? What does it serve people outside of the inner city to keep one part of the city down and deny it something that would have the ability to serve everyone?
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Allan Wilson says,
Look to the future.
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Daniel Dunham says,
I am 100% supportive of the LRT! I have lived in the lower city since 1997, first on King at Ferguson, now on Main W.
I welcome changes and will still support businesses along the LRT route, during and after construction. -
Nadine Bernacki says,
It is unbelievable and backwards to me that anyone on council would backpedal on the LRT issue. This a progressive action that will help unite and improve our city and reduce our reliance in fossil fuels which will help mitigate climate change. Please do the intelligent thing and approve the LRT.
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Julie Gordon says,
It is time for Hamilton to move into the future, to care for our environment and residents by reducing car traffic, and to make our urban core a vibrant, convenient, and desirable place to live and visit. LRT will be a huge boost to the vibrancy of our city, let's just get this done.
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Jess Ramsay says,
As a mountain resident and business owner I believe LRT would be an incredible resource and council is being foolish to drag this out and potentially turn down a great investment to our city
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mik panavas says,
It is beyond belief that city hall is balking at a 1 billion dollar leap into the future for our city.Is this to be another spat in the sandbox.Look at the big picture.Any city that has made the leap has reaped benefits. Downtown is a wasteland.Traffic zips by. Do not make us a national laughing stock yet again!!
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Scott Brimble says,
I support LRT and ask that Council do the same. Let's look to the future and make this city an even better place to live.
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Robert Bowers says,
This attempt at stalling the LRT plan is at least lame brained and at worst evidence of the hidden agendas and moneyed interests that regularly appear to have their way with our taxes in Hamilton.
In my experience I have found that Hamilton citizens have little or no respect for its city council. Bad decisions or inaction are expected, squandered opportunities the norm. The more disturbing thing is that citizens also feel certain that there is nothing they can do about it. A city hall that approves costly and insulting projects like "Barton Village" is very likely on its way to doing something equally foolish and cynical with the LRT. -
Stevan Garic says,
This is a great opportunity to move our city forward. Let's make this something that future generations will look back on with pride.
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