‘Over 35 buildings demolished;’ Outgoing Hamilton mayor gives final LRT update
Published November 17, 2022 at 9:56 am
Before Andrea Horwath was sworn in as the 58th mayor in Hamilton’s 175-year history, outgoing mayor Fred Eisenberger shared one final update on the city’s light rail transit (LRT) project — a major part of Eisenberger’s mayoral legacy.
According to the Instagram post from the official @hamiltonsmayor account, which also contained a video of artist renderings of the LRT project and photos of Eisenberger signing official project documents, Metrolinx is currently investigating a two-stage procurement model for LRT: utility and roadworks and rail infrastructure.
Services for both stages are expected to be procured in “early 2023,” with major construction getting underway in 2024. The project timeline is still under review by the province and Metrolinx, the government crown agency managing the LRT project. City staff and the public will be provided with a timeline once the review is completed.
Metrolinx will select key “early work locations” in the coming months as Bell, Alectra Utilities, and other hydro and telecommunications companies relocate underground duct services and install new lines.
To date, 60 full properties have been purchased by Metrolinx, mostly for demolition along the proposed LRT line along King Street. 36 buildings have been cleared to date, with more expected.
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The project was officially greenlit in May 2021 after the federal and provincial governments confirmed matching $1.7 billion investments to go towards its construction.
The City of Hamilton will take on operating costs.
The $3.4 billion LRT line will go from McMaster University, through downtown, to Eastgate in Stoney Creek. It will cover 14 kilometres with 17 stops.
Approximately 7,000 jobs are expected to be created for the project’s construction.
Hamilton’s LRT project is part of the “BLAST Network” — a rapid transit strategy conceived as part of the City’s 2007
Transportation Master Plan, and further developed in the 2008 Rapid Transit Feasibility Study and 2011 Rapid Ready report.
The BLAST Network would include the following:
- B-Line (LRT) from McMaster University to Eastgate Square, with future
extension to University Plaza to the west and Fifty Road to the east. - A-Line: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Waterfront/West Harbour GO to Rymal, and Priority Bus from Rymal to
Hamilton Munro International Airport - L-Line: Priority Bus from Downtown Hamilton to Waterdown.
- S-Line: Priority Bus from Ancaster Business Park to Confederation GO Station.
- T-Line: Priority Bus from Centre Mall to Meadowlands Terminal.
Former premier Kathleen Wynne had committed $1 billion to Hamilton LRT in 2015, but it was cancelled by Doug Ford’s government four years later.