All Statements of Support
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Margot Corbin says,
I love LRT. It will only make Hamilton a better place to live.
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Gene wasik says,
Having experienced the LRT in Portland, Oregon, my wife and I are convinced this is a needed and beneficial asset for generations to come in the City of Hamilton.
I urge council to take advantage of the funds offered by the provincial government.
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Ian Borsuk says,
It's absolute madness that we are potentially going to not build transit.
Yes there are potential issues with the LRT, but all of those can be rectified and dealt with.
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Catherine Ahern says,
Please see this through in spite of it not being as popular with suburban voters.
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Steve Newberry says,
Please say YES to the $1 billion dollar funding and LRT project.
We moved to downtown Hamilton 7 years ago and started a family here. Although we are still scared-to-death to cross Main St. and parts of King St. on foot we have seen the vast improvements downtown and would like to see more.
LRT is the answer I believe to making the downtown even more vibrant, and accessible.
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Erin Fotheringham says,
Do not let go of this opportunity. LRT is an integral building block for community development in Hamilton. Reliable, RAPID transit is key to connecting people, places, and JOBS. Don't delay. Don't deflect. Support LRT NOW.
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Ben Babcock says,
Please implement the entire B.L.A.S.T. plan as soon as possible, so we can get on with planning additional transit improvements. I would like to see the base BLAST system completed within fifteen years.
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Mark Cripps says,
Embrace the future... reject those who would rather live in the past. Change is never easy but there is a reason the province decided to invest in Hamilton's future. Our city is considered a key economic driver for the future prosperity of the province. If we reject this investment, in a way we are telling the current government and any future governments that we're not interested in being considered among those communities who will lead Ontario's future.
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Paul Trebilcock says,
Are you kidding, we need this lets get more cars off the road. People need options. Let's head in the right direction.
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Garry Sled says,
Council needs to lead us into the future, not kowtow to those selfish few who believe their "right to speed" trumps a city's rights to efficient public transit.
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Hans Stief says,
This investment in LRT will prove to be instrumental in Hamilton's Economic Development moving forward. It will provide safe, reliable transit options for people in all stages/statuses of life. As a father of twins, i feel that this investment is critical for the future of our city for people from all walks of life.
I fully support this project and trust our politicians will make the right decision. -
Jeremy Williams says,
Hamilton can no longer afford to sit still, if we plan to flourish as a city we must accept our role in a much bigger picture. It is no longer acceptable to not think of large scale because weather you like it or not we will grow in population with or without LRT. I for one can't see myself using the LRT other than occasionally getting to the waterfront in the summer months although my children will find it in valuable and the ecomniocal benefits to be able to create sustainable jobs in a vacant downtown can only be achieved through mass transit. Buses (even bus lanes) can't do it as part of a traffic system. Light Rail is the only answer the city can afford, it's too late in urban planning for a subway.
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Steve MacIntyre says,
Council is infatuated with the idea of Hamilton being an 'up and coming city' and an underdog within Ontario.
When it's time to pay the piper however, we shake in our boots?
Time to grow up and stop being so indecisive about something that is backed by research and statistics.
You've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.
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Margaret Ferizis says,
I live in Scarborough and we used to have a streetcar line until the the early 1950's. It was replaced with buses and the area was designed around the car.
Scarborough is now considered to be quite backward and ugly. So is Etobicoke to a lesser extent.
Most of us in Scarborough wish those lines were never paved over. The planners of the day are often criticized for their myopia.
It was very short-sighted of many cities, including Toronto, London and Hamilton to give up the light-rail transit that existed up until the 1950's and later, in favour of bus routes.
Sixty years later we have come full circle, and need those LRTs. The situation is not going to go away and it would be foolish to think it will.
The city of Hamilton has been granted the funds to invest in itself in a meaningful way. Wouldn't you rather be remembered as a council that worked for it's city as opposed to a dysfunctional council that worked against it's own best interests in order to please a few squeaky wheels that you would be better off replacing.
The people complaining the most about the proposed LRT probably commute by car from outside the city and do not spend a cent in Hamilton. They rush in and out and do not want anything impeding their progress.
They also do not pay taxes in Hamilton, ergo they are not paying for the upkeep of the city roads they wear out year after year.
They do not stop to consider that the new streetcars can carry 250 riders, that's a lot of cars that are not in their way.
As for the businesses, tell them to take a look at Queen Street in Toronto, or College St., or any street with an streetcar route. They are busy and vibrant and the businesses thrive. If you see an empty store, that has more to do with a greedy landlord than a streetcar line.
No city can afford subways anymore, not even New York City. LRTs are the future of urban transit.
History will be judging you.
Thanks for allowing me to express my opinion. I still have my fingers crossed that we might still have an LRT built here in Scarborough. A 3 stop subway is a waste and will only help the construction company building it.
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Michael Brown says,
Please make this happen!! We have the funding and made all the necessary plans and time to initiate this potential growth.
We (Hamilton) always "talk" about being a great city, take a look at what the rest of Canada's great cities have.. (Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto). They have a LRT system in place because they know it develops growth and opportunity. We (Hamilton) have an opportunity and in a position to really make a difference and show the rest of Canada that we're not just steel town anymore.
I want to start being labeled as Steel "City", not town!!
Wake up people!!
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John MacPherson says,
Come on folks, get it together! This and the ongoing West Harbour GO debacle are shameful. So close, but so far away!!!
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Alicia Looyenga says,
No worthwhile changes ever come without short term cost. Our children will thank us.
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Joseph DiBenedetto says,
I support LRT.
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Dave Hamilton says,
Outside councillors have been a stumbling block to the unavoidable and determined re-invigoration of the downtown core for far too long. How does one NOT vote "yes" for this infrastructure investment? Stop fighting what's good and get on this train. (Literally AND figuratively).
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Jon Hodge says,
Please vote yes to taking this free money to make our city better.
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Erinn Turnbull says,
Good day and thank you for reading this. I think it would be an act of self-harm for Hamilton to now reject $1B of FREE investment (that we already accepted!) which will increase economic development in both business and housing sectors, improve and increase use of transit as well as reduce traffic, and increase population density along the LRT route (delivering services to dense areas is less expensive/population so it makes good $ sense to grow #HamOnt that way). The resulting increase in new taxes collected due to LRT implementation can be enjoyed by all Hamiltonians. I do not object to funds being spent on improvement in urban/rural parts of Hamilton that don't seem to affect me or my ward. I am so disappointed in Hamilton council and how this is (not) being handled and in the misinformation certain council members are spreading.
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Erin Davis says,
This ought ta be a no brainer ! I support the LRT and the fact that both Main and King St.'s should be two way.
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barbara quinn says,
don't be the nervous bride who never makes it to the alter and therefor lives a life of regret of what could have been. hamilton needs to stand behind it's word. anything else will be a lifetime of shame!
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Thomas Cassidy says,
Good morning!
I am writing to express support for the LRT project in Hamilton. This project would be a huge step forward for someone like me who doesn't own a car and likes to cycle and take public transit.
I am a bit concerned and disappointed to see the vote split so far between downtown and suburban councillors. It feels unfair to support highways up Red Hill Creek and into Flamborough but then deny investment in the downtown areas.
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James Carter says,
We've already agreed to do this, why all the flip-flopping now? City councillors need to stop playing petty regional politics and finally do what's best for this city, and what's best for this city is light rail!
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Laura Babcock says,
Hamilton needs LRT to attract additional investment and be competitive. No LRT means no MONEY - so let's not fear the difficult process and work together to achieve LRT benefits for the whole city.
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Kevin McNally says,
LRT is a step along the way to improving transit in Hamilton. Let's take YES for an answer and begin to get transit to where it needs to be. The whole city will benefit from the economic activity!
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Kris Gadjanski says,
An investment in rapid public transit is an investment in a progressive, healthy city.
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David Scott says,
Hamilton is a growing city, that needs LRT as a better way to move people across the city, and to facilitate smart growth in our city.
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Suzanne Zandbergen says,
Hamilton needs this. No more feet dragging, let's go!
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