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Saturday January 14, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday January 14, 2017

Hamilton’s $1 billion LRT project may be getting a game-changing shakeup.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger says Metrolinx is considering killing the 2-kilometre James Street North light rail spur line for an alternative that has “greater value and cost efficiency.”

“I don’t know what and when the province is going to announce anything on this but I do know it’s been a topic of conversation.”

Multiple sources have told The Spectator the idea is to replace the James North spur with an express bus service from the waterfront to the airport on James and Upper James — essentially building the A-line route that’s part of the planned city-wide BLAST bus network.

According to sources, an announcement originally planned for Monday is now expected in a couple of weeks.

The proposal does not affect the 11-km east-west LRT route from McMaster to the Queenston traffic circle.

Eisenberger notes the James spur was an “add on” to the provincial funding announcement in 2015 and as such had never undergone a cost-benefit analysis.

“I assume that Metrolinx has done it now and I’m pretty confident it shows that it’s not the most viable business case … for an LRT on James.”

If the spur line is replaced with express buses from the Mountain to the waterfront, Eisenberger thinks it’ll be a better bang for the buck in terms of growing public transit across the city and will likely enjoy good political and public support.

A Metrolinx spokesperson said via email there “will be more news in the coming weeks.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Friday April 20, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday April 20, 2012

Ontario NDP drops push to cut HST

The Ontario NDP is withdrawing a push to exempt home heating bills from the harmonized sales tax, in a significant concession that ratchets up the pressure on the governing Liberals ahead of a budget vote that could trigger a provincial election.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a Thursday morning news conference that it’s become clear in recent days that Premier Dalton McGuinty “strongly disagrees” with an HST exemption for home heating.

“Now, I hope that over the term of this minority government, I can convince the premier that he’s wrong. But I have to be frank. I just don’t think that that’s going to happen within the next couple of days,” she said.

“And for that reason, I am letting it be known today that we don’t expect the HST to come off home heating in this budget.”

Horwath said that a number of other NDP demands tabled in the leadup to the vote on the provincial budget next Tuesday — including a tax increase for the wealthiest in the province — remain in play.

The ball is now in McGuinty’s court, she said.

“Mr. McGuinty has to make a choice. Is he going to stand with the mom that needs a child-care space for her son or daughter? Or is he going to stand with the millionaire? Is he going to stand with health care improvements, or with millionaires?”

She criticized both the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives for being inflexible when it comes to the budget. The Progressive Conservatives announced before the budget was tabled that they would not be supporting it. (Source: CBC News)