All Statements of Support
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Radha Menon says,
This is important for those of us who live downtown.
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Fernando Ferreira says,
Please keep on track to what was being worked towards. Hamilton will be a better city with this LRT.
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Andrew Durman says,
This is a game changer for the city as a whole. This constant wishy-washy back and forth just shows the rest of the world that we're not ready don't come here and invest your money. Take a stand one way or the other otherwise we just look like a City full of idiots I didn't elect you to look stupid and go with the will of the people and hold the vote.
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Hernan Ugalde says,
It is time for people to leave the political games aside and think long term. I am tired of council just thinking about the next election instead of doing some actual PLANNING for the good of the city.
Some construction induced congestion is unavoidable, but the benefit will be for years to enjoy.
For once, please stop being so shortsighted and get finally moving with LRT! Eight years of waiting and now what? One more study of the study of the study?
Enough with this. -
Dolores Smith says,
We have to get this! Hamilton can't grow to its fullest until we do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Fort Roberto says,
There are one billions reasons not to say no. That money will quickly be given to another municipality real quick. Don't screw up again , Hamilton needs to move ahead with a better trust system !
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Pat Roberto says,
To the decision makers,the elected representatives, lets get on with the decision making. Let's consider Hamilton moving forward. I support the project. Stop the procrastinating and make a decision. stop dragging the issue out. Don't waste a golden opportunity for a ONE BILLION DOLLAR investment in Hamilton. It is our future.
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Rob Parsons says,
Dear Hamilton City Council and Queen's Park:
I have been reading with concern and disappointment about the recent and renewed controversy and debate regarding the Metrolinx Hamilton LRT plan. I am concerned and disappointed because I thought Hamilton City Council had received and considered the advice from City staff, independent consultants, academia, and even the provincial government, and approved proceeding with LRT in Hamilton. I supported this outcome and I believe LRT will be a positive development for Hamilton, as do the above stakeholders. Now some Hamilton City Councillors want to reopen the debate!?? Enough! Let's do this Hamilton!
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John Treen says,
This was discussed and passed ages ago. On with it!
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Micah Witt says,
The LRT is incredibly important for the continued development of Hamilton. To pass by on an opportunity to improve public transit like this would be very disappointing.
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Jane Cudmore says,
The City of Hamilton is wasting time even debating this. We know the benefits, we know the price, we have the facts, the jury should not still be out on this. If we are going to renew our city and call it ambitious again, we need to prove that we are ready to take control of development and make decisions big and small. LRT is the next step and tripping over it is not an option. Where is the leadership? Where is the vision?
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Dianne Lethbridge says,
Just because it is not in your backyard yet Ancaster, Dundas, Hamilton Mountain doesn't mean it won't be. It has to start somewhere and the heart of the city is a great place to start and start it must. Don't wait until the congestion is so bad and we are forced to build it without the $1 billion from the province. I lived for 30 years in Toronto and the subway was just in the bottom core of the city. Now it goes all over. Hamilton will eventually extend our LRT to accommodate other areas of the city, but there has to be a starting hub. If it started in Ancaster, Dundas or the Mountain those areas would not be giving us grief. Get your heads out of the sand Councillors and do something good for this city on it's way to becoming an amazing place to live and visit. Are you just afraid of not being re-elected? Shame on you!
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Kelly Garrison says,
Hamilton needs this, please continue to move forward and make Hamilton a great place to invest and live, without this we are moving backwards, this can't happen.
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Taien Ng-Chan says,
The LRT, despite the initial hassles that are suffered by businesses, is a positive development that will benefit all Hamiltonians in the future. I suggest you read "Straphanger" by Taras Grescoe that explores how different cities around the world have benefited from well-built public transportation systems, despite the initial troubles of building and implementing. Hamilton is growing and becoming more dense, and as a city, we must plan for the future. Please say YES to the LRT. Thank you!
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Jonathan Van Egmond says,
To get anything done in government takes consistency and staying the course. With such diversity of stakeholders, agreement on anything its rare.
To that end, thank you for your consistent leadership on the LRT matter over the last few years. The consensus to keep moving forward has been nothing short of miraculous, shows a deep preference for LRT by Hamiltonians, and your leadership has reflected that.
Nothing is perfect, and Hamiltonians don't expect this project to be perfect. But by continuing to stay the course now, we can at least secure a major piece of infrastructure for the city. Changing our mind now would be the epitome of political incompetency that gridlocks cities in the past.
Please vote once again to secure the LRT line, and finalize this investment in Hamilton.
Thanks,
Jonathan Van Egmond -
James King says,
If Council doesn't approve the LRT plan I'm selling my house and moving somewhere people get it.
Hamilton's car-centric culture is toxic. To the environment. To my family. To this city.
Don't derail the LRT plan.
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Brendan Simons says,
My support of LRT stems from 3 places:
1) Hamilton's competitive advantage is it's unrealized downtown potential - something no other city in the GTHA has. LRT will help attract students, knowledge workers, and unique retail to move in along the corridor.
2) More than a third of our carbon emissions come from transportation. (https://dr6j45jk9xcmk.cloudfront.net/documents/3618/climate-change-report-2014.pdf) The single most effective way to meet our climate change goals is to encourage citizens to take transit. This won't happen overnight, but something as attractive as LRT can shift a lot of people's choices. Transit has to be something people *want* to take, not something that only serves those that *have* to take it.
3) It's a billion friggen dollars. Let's not be stupid here.
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Mikael Andersson says,
Council needs to stop playing petty games with Hamiltonians and the city's future. The studies have been made and the plans have been drawn up, time and time again. What is happening now is not in the name of honest inquiry or prudence, but - to borrow a topical phrase from Elizabeth May - political mischief. It's making the council members involved and the city as a whole a laughing stock, and threatening the futures of generations of Hamiltonians.
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Brodie Chree says,
Please just build the LRT. Building for density, better tax revenue, energy efficiency and disaster resiliency is simply keeping pace with the world. We seriously risk falling behind decades economically. Again. We are like the underdog superstar of Canadian Real-Estate right now. We could be the Portland, OR of Ontario.
I think this issue is a sign of our civic low self-esteem. We can be world class. We are in many respects and need to embrace change not recoil. Hamilton RESPECT YOURSELF!
Sincerely,
Brodie Chree
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Nicole Smith says,
I have been dismayed by the debate over LRT lately, as many arguments against that have been thoroughly answered have been resurrected, and there is even talk of a money-wasting and counter-productive referendum. Please, Councillors and Mayor, let us not waste further time and resources hashing through this. Hamilton needs you to recommit and move forward together without delay.
Thank you for your help,
Nicole
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Daniel Boric says,
PLEASE, vote yes!!!
Stop living in the middle ages and let Hamilton mature into a world class city!
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Scott Fairley says,
We want this.
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Kevin Makins says,
In the nine years since I moved downtown I feel as if this is the tenth time I've had to sign a petition for LRT. This is the future of urban planning. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take outside money and invest it in our already booming urban core.
My request to council: look at the people and ideas that have revitalized the downtown core over the last ten years. What are they saying?
Not what are the people saying who are always cautious and afraid and negative about bold new ideas, what are the people saying who have been fighting for our cities core for the long haul?
We are all saying the same thing: let's do this. Once and for all!
And then when we all agree to do it, let's never revote on this again!
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Mark Richardson says,
Council, grow a pair and do something other than appeasing developers and Ward heeling your power base. LRT is transformation change.
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Michael Korz says,
This if for the future not for just now, how can you not want the city to move forward. Construction may suck, and change may be difficult. But great things come from patience and resilience. Think not on what the city has been, but what it can be.
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Kristina Inman says,
This is important.
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Douglas Goodman says,
This is a positive step forward. Sometimes council members are swayed by area residents (read "voters") and, unfortunately, it can come down to not what is best for Hamilton, but about re-election. I understand the reluctance of some business owners who feel that their business might be impacted by the construction. I remember this same concern when the Jackson Square project was debated. Now we have a first class hotel and arena. Not to mention Hamilton Place, Convention Center, etc. One day this line will run out to Hamilton Airport linking strategic go stations and Hamilton will become a compliment to Pearson International. This is the first step, let's not trip (pun intended) up.
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Nick VanAmstel says,
The time has come for Hamilton to make the leap from the small-town mindset, that has plagued us forever, to being a place that embraces change and growth with vision and commonsense. The city council divide of upper and lower city HAS to change. What is good for "downtown" is good for the entire city.The LRT will be a boon to everyone in this city. Whatever challenges that come with the introduction of the LRT can be met and overcome if, and only if, ALL the members of council recognize that we are in this together. The businesses that will be affected by the construction of the LRT should be actively supported by every person that supports the LRT. This support will go a long way to easing the concerns of many people.
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Jennifer Friesen says,
Because it's 2016.
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Jocelyn Weatherbe says,
If we are to save any farmland in the fruitful Niagara Peninsula we have to build denser urban neighbourhoods. The LRT will service those areas and encourage economic development in them. This will benefit the whole city in increased tax base and a more robust economy.
I have lived in both Calgary and Vancouver and enjoyed the travel flexibility of the SkyTrain,the rapid transit metropolitan rail system of Greater Vancouver, and Calgary's LRT. They are almost universally considered a vast improvement over transit before they were built even by former detractors.
LRT is a positive and progressive idea whose time has come.
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