The Forum Research polling results about Hamilton’s LRT project are out, and it’s not good news for supporters of the project.
There are lots of demographic and geographic breakdowns about who responded to the survey, but the crux of the report is contained in the last paragraph.
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It states, “Overall, Hamiltonians are very aware of the LRT project, the majority of all decided respondents disapprove of the project, and a strong majority believe that a referendum should be held to consult voters prior to the ultimate approval of the LRT project.”
These results are just the tonic needed to embolden anti-LRT types and it might be the catalyst to get the fence-sitters on council to finally declare what they’ve been too timid to declare, namely, their opposition to the project.
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On the other hand, it’s noteworthy that a similar poll done in Kitchener-Waterloo a few years ago produced similar results, but regional councillors in that area eventually gave the green light to the project anyway.
The Hamilton poll may not be the death knell for the LRT, but it does send a clear message that LRT proponents have done a poor job of selling the project to the citizens.
With the clock ticking, what they do next could determine the success or failure of the project.