Hamilton LRT back on Ontario’s priority list of transit projects

The Ontario government is expanding its four priority transit project list to five with the addition of the Hamilton Light-Rail Transit (LRT) project. The proposed Hamilton LRT joins the Ontario Line Subway, Scarborough Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and Yonge North Subway Extension projects on the priority list. And the province wants the Canadian government to pitch in covering the costs of the five projects.

"We're keeping our word and honoring our C$1 billion (US$787.2 million) capital commitment to transportation infrastructure investments in the city of Hamilton and we urge the federal government to join us in building a viable LRT," said Caroline Mulroney, Ontario Minister of Transportation. "It's going to take all levels of government to make a meaningful Hamilton LRT project a reality. Everyone is going to need to pitch in."

An original proposal to build more than eight miles of light rail between McMaster University and Eastgate Square was canceled by the province in December 2019 after cost estimates had grown to more than C$5.5 billion (US$4.33 billion). The cost estimates “posed an unsustainable burden on Ontario taxpayers,” the province explained.

A task force was launched in early 2020 and in April 2020, it published a report confirming the viability of higher order transit for Hamilton. As part of its final report, the Hamilton Task Force included 15 recommendations for further analysis.

A follow up technical report to the work performed by the task force identified three options to further evaluate, which included a bus rapid transit (BRT) option, BRT plus a transit priority option and a 3.2-km (approximately two-mile) LRT option from McMaster to Dundurn.

The province explains its funding commitment would not build an LRT line that would benefit Hamilton residents and a longer route could only happen with federal funding.

"Our government's commitment has always been and continues to be $1 billion for transportation infrastructure for the city of Hamilton," said Minister Mulroney. "Canada, Ontario and the city of Hamilton have a shared responsibility to build transit infrastructure quickly and efficiently to keep people moving and drive business as we look to strengthen and rebuild our economy. Moving forward with this LRT project would mean Hamiltonians will finally get the transit they deserve."

The technical report determined the three options it evaluated were “technically feasible, but face challenges in their delivery and operation.” The report noted the limited expertise the city of Hamilton has with operating an LRT system to be the main challenge, but the report determined both BRT options would not be delivered within the 2022 timeframe recommended by the Hamilton Task Force.

“Hamilton’s LRT project is shovel ready and ready to go, ensuring economic benefits can be realized faster than any other possible project. The LRT project will create thousands of jobs, economic uplift, increase affordable housing, cut CO2 emissions and will replace aging underground services such as water and wastewater which would otherwise be the responsibility of local property taxpayers,” said Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “We have now rebounded from a canceled project in December 2019 to a provincial priority project. However, for the LRT project to break ground, it would require federal participation. Based on that, we are cautiously optimistic.”

The province will submit the five priority transit projects to the Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Transit Program process. Mayor Eisenberger says the province has recommended the Hamilton LRT project and the city wait for the federal government’s approval.