A presentation to city councillors on Wednesday by a Metrolinx representative has failed to provide clarity on some key light rail transit (LRT) and GO Transit related questions.
Among them is the question of where the province stands on the city’s request to have the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operate and maintain the future light rail transit line.
Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Green asked whether there is “a timeline on when we can anticipate receiving an answer,” during Wednesday’s General Issues Committee meeting at Hamilton City Hall.
Antoine Belaieff, Metrolinx’s Director of Regional Planning, was on hand to take questions on behalf of the province’s transportation agency, but could only say that “many people are working very hard to provide more certainty.”
Timelines call for major construction of the $1 billion, provincially funded LRT line to take place from 2019 through 2024.
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Once completed, it will be 14 kilometres in length, running between Eastgate Square and McMaster University.
Belaieff has also been questioned by city councillors in regards to the planned expansion of GO Train service through Hamilton and into the Niagara Region.
Those plans call for the opening of a new GO station at Centennial Parkway in 2019 with an extension to Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby following in 2021, but the question remains as to when all-day GO Train service will begin into Hamilton.
Belaieff describes it as a “technical challenge,” and “a financial hurdle to overcome,” and a “question of negotiation with a private entity (CN Rail) that obviously uses the corridor and values the corridor.”
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger has taken the question a step further noting Metrolinx’s plan for when all-day rail service does begin into the city is to run it through the Hunter Street GO station, rather than the West Harbour GO station.
Eisenberger says that “confuses the heck out of me” and is seeking clarification on the plans for routing the service.
Ward 7 Councillor Donna Skelly adds that taxpayers “deserve some hard and fast answers” in the form of specific timelines.
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