LRT

I don’t think it’s happening. I remain unconvinced, not because of speculation, but because the available evidence doesn’t justify the conclusion.

This skepticism is grounded in evidence - or, in this case, the lack thereof. The last four years of council have done an exceptional job of avoiding all of these questions.

We do not have anything close to an accurate budget for it. No timelines or direction on who is going to run it. We have no idea how much it will cost, who is going to pay for it, or who is going to operate it. Lots of land has been expropriated, and infrastructure dollars have been received.

The 1.6 billion Hamilton got from the Province of Ontario is infrastructure dollars. No trains or tracks are part of that funding. After watching what Metrolinx did in the City of Ottawa and on Eglinton in Toronto, just to name a few, I really wonder what lessons Hamilton has learned.

The expropriated lands along the route create a real opportunity for some excellent housing infill. It is impossible to get a project of this magnitude right without all the information. We cannot pretend this project is happening for another four years until these questions are answered.