Find out how city residents are reacting to council’s LRT stalemate

The Spectator’s Alex Yorke and Ryan Thorpe interviewed city residents to find out what people think about council’s gridlocked debate over the $1-billion light rail project. They went to University Plaza, Jackson Square, Lime Ridge Mall and Eastgate Squar

“Hamilton is getting to be a big city and we need this sort of transportation. I can’t understand why anyone would be against it.”

Andrea Beaulieu, 49, Jackson Square

“Business owners along King Street are going to have a lot of problems with customer parking. It’s going to be a big issue and I just don’t see the long-term benefits.”

Peter Backmazian, Jackson Square

“At this point, I just think they should hurry up and make a decision.”

Leanne Morrow, 47, University Plaza

“I think it’ll help people get around quicker and will replace the existing B-line express bus.”

Hayden Phillips, 23, University Plaza

“For the cost and disruption, it just won’t be worth it. These things always run over budget. I’m hoping they’ll just can this idea and put the money to better use.”

Frances Thomsen, University Plaza

“The more non-car traffic we have, the better. Hamilton is a pretty spread-out place, so I think it will be beneficial in that regard.”

Mike St. Louis, University Plaza

“Maybe instead of LRT they should put money into the existing bus system and improve that. But I don’t know really know, I can see both sides of the debate.” Kathy Fell, University Plaza “I think it’s been a challenge for council because they have had so much adversity over it and they are fighting it all the time. Nobody likes change and there are a lot of older people who don’t like change so I think that’s part of it as well.”

Pamela Lea, 68, Lime Ridge Mall

“As a student, I think that the LRT is very crucial to Hamilton because it would raise the economy and it would be a good way for students to get to Hamilton and from Hamilton and make things more accessible. I really think that they (council) should speed up the process a bit, they should defiantly try to make a decision.”

Kailee Dellio, 19, Lime Ridge Mall

“What’s the issue? We used to have trolley buses. I think it’s a good idea and I don’t think there’s a problem with that. There should be more things like that to open (Hamilton) up.”

Betty Morris, 51, Lime Ridge Mall

“I think the LRT should be called street cars; it’s a street car that goes nowhere. It goes from nowhere to nowhere. If anybody thought about going down King Street with one lane of street cars and one lane of cars, they would abandon it completely. We have an airport that no one flies out of, a shopping centre that nobody shops at and soon we’ll have street cars that go nowhere.”

Garry MacDougall, 82, Eastgate Square

Hamilton would be fantastic. There are people that take the bus and I think (LRT) is a good and faster alternative. Council has been putting it off too much and they need to speak to the people about what we want and I do think most people agree with it, they just don’t want to spend the money.”

Spring Bachmeier, 24, Eastgate Square