Ancaster councillor fears delays could derail Hamilton’s LRT project

Hamilton’s light rail transit (LRT) project is running months behind schedule, a prospect that’s troubling to Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson.

The light rail transit advocate says the province and Metrolinx took five months to respond to a city’s request to have the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operate LRT.

Metrolinx, in its long-awaited reply, says that the HSR can run Hamilton’s LRT line but the provincial transportation agency also recommends against the idea.

Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster warns that Hamilton would be forced to shoulder a list of “onerous responsibilities” and “legal obligations” as part of a local operations agreement.

Verster adds that Metrolinx would also have to issue a new request for qualifications that could delay the project by up to five months.

Ferguson says if this project isn’t nailed down soon, including a decision on whether LRT should be locally or privately run, it could be derailed by the coming provincial election.

Ferguson warns a change in government could shelve the project, along with $1 billion in federal funding.

The president of the union representing Hamilton’s transit drivers is accusing Metrolinx of “fear-mongering and misinformation.”

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 president Eric Tuck believes the provincial agency is trying to get city councillors to change course by warning of extra costs and obligations if the HSR was to operate the LRT line.

Tuck also stresses that more than 6,500 residents signed a petition in support of a publicly operated transit system and he urges councillors to stand their ground and not give in to provincial “intimidation.”

City politicians will discuss the latest developments during a meeting on Friday.

The project calls for a 14-kilometre, east-west light rail transit line, from Eastgate Square to McMaster University.