Municipal LRT cost estimates go before Hamilton politicians this week

An estimate of the additional cost to city taxpayers, once Hamilton’s light rail transit (LRT) line is up and running, will be presented to city councillors on Thursday.

A staff report predicts an impact on municipal services — along the corridor from McMaster University to Eastgate Square — of between $5.2 million and $13.7 million more a year.

Most of it relates to additional costs for things like snow removal, road maintenance, managing traffic signals and waste collection, while the rest would cover transit-related costs.

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Three short-listed finalists are currently developing proposals to design, build, finance, operate and maintain Hamilton’s LRT, to be built with $1 billion in promised provincial funding.

The goal is to start construction next year, with LRT operational by 2024.

The shortlisted proponents and their prime team members include:

• CityLine Transit Group
Equity Providers: ACS, Aecon, CRH, TIAA;
Constructors: Dragados, Aecon, Dufferin;
Design Team: Parsons, HDR, Amec, RDHA; and,
Operation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation Team: ACS, Aecon, CRH, Serco.

• Ei8ht Transit
Equity Providers: EllisDon, Fluor, Bombardier;
Constructors: Fluor Canada, EllisDon Civil, Bombardier;
Design Team: WSP/MMM, Hatch, Gh3, Bombardier; and,
Operation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation Team: EllisDon Facilities Services, Bombardier.

• Mobilinx
Equity Providers: Astaldi, John Laing, Hitachi-Ansaldo, Amico, Transdev;
Constructors: Astaldi, Hitachi-Ansaldo, Amico, Bot;
Design Team: IBI, Hitachi-Ansaldo, Daoust Lestage, Morrison Hershfield, Exp
Services, Arcadis; and,
Operation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation Team: Transdev, Hitachi-Ansaldo, Astaldi.

The staff report which goes before Thursday’s meeting of the general issues committee, also says LRT will require removing about 90 per cent of the curbside trees along the 14-kilometre route.