Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced full provincial funding support for Hamilton’s proposed light rail transit line.
City council has been divided on the issue, with suburban councillors wanting better bus service for the outlying parts of the city, and wondering whether $800 million for a downtown transit line will stifle that effort.
The proposed plan has the LRT travelling from Eastgate Square (eventually) to McMaster University. That’s where Wynne made the announcement this morning.
“Decades ago, government investments in ports, canals and railroads helped bring steeldtown into an era of industrial prosperity. Today we need infrastructure that drives Hamilton’s prosperity in the 21-st century economy, we need Hamilton to remain an important driver of our regional and provincial economy, and a place where people can continue to find more opportunity, and more security in life.”
“Transit connects the people of Hamilton to each other and to people of the GTHA, So it’s my great pleasure to announce today the Ontario government will be providing up to $1 billion to fund the building of new light rail transit.”
The LRT will will connect directly to the new West Harbour GO station currently under construction. Construction on the transit system will begin in 2019.