Province open to discussing LRT extension: McMeekin
Putting Eastgate in the mix could be the ticket — for some
HAMILTON’S LONE Liberal MPP says he thinks the province would look “favourably” on the idea of extending the city’s proposed LRT line if an increasingly divided council makes that request.
But it’s unclear if the province would pay extra to push light rail transit to Eastgate Square — or even if such a change would get reluctant councillors onside.
Premier Kathleen Wynne was in town Monday to announce a basic income pilot that will include Hamilton. Wynne did not take report- er questions but her parlia- mentary assistant, MPP Ted McMeekin, said the premier spoke to him about the contentious project that morning.
McMeekin said the premier wants Hamilton to end the debate and “get on with LRT,” but he also acknowledged last-minute political discussions about the prospect of council requesting a return to the original 14-kilometre LRT route from McMaster University to Eastgate Square.
Right now, the 100-per-cent provincially funded line stops at the Queenston traffic circle in the east end.
“If Hamilton city council were to request that of the province my hunch is we would look very favourably at that,” said the MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale.
McMeekin wouldn’t speculate on the likelihood of the province chipping in extra cash to push Hamilton’s light rail train the extra three kilometres.
Metrolinx has said it could cost anywhere from $150 million to $225 million, with the higher costs possible if bridge replacement is needed across the Red Hill parkway.
In theory, the province saved $125 million on the project recently by axing a proposed spur line to the James Street GO station.
McMeekin suggested a “strong feeling” emerged from the last two marathon council debates on the project that “we ought not to be looking for a Plan B, we ought to be looking at some hybrid of Plan A.”
So far, there’s no guarantee a route extension would result in a majority vote to approve the project environmental assessment Wednesday.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger said Monday he has discussed the prospects of a LRT route extension to Eastgate “for many, many months.” He reiterated he is talking to politicians at various levels of government to try to avert the “disaster” of a vote against the project, but wouldn’t go into details.
Coun. Terry Whitehead, a vocal project critic, has said he would vote to push the project ahead despite his concerns if the Eastgate extension was included within the 100-per-cent provincially funded project budget.
Both Stoney Creek councillors, Doug Conley and Maria Pearson, have said Eastgate Square would work better as the eastern end of the LRT line — but it wouldn’t necessarily secure their vote.
Mountain Coun. Tom Jackson would only say Monday he is “keeping an open mind.”
Arlene VanderBeek also said an Eastgate extension “makes more sense,” but the Dundas councillor said Monday she is still weighing her decision.
“I think everybody should be concerned about whether we might lose that billion dollars,” she said. “The question is whether it is a gift or a burden.”
McMeekin also sought to clarify “confusion” over Wynne’s recent comments about the $1 billion allocation for Hamilton’s project being “for transit.”
The comments came in response to reporter questions about whether the cash was exclusively for LRT.
“The allocation is for LRT,” said McMeekin Monday, adding later “it’s not something that can be detached in any way shape or form from their request to support the light rail transit system.”
McMeekin said council could choose to ditch LRT and come up with a new plan, but then the city “have to go back to the drawing board” and make a new request for cash.
The MPP did not repeat his past suggestion, however, that rejecting LRT would mean the $1 billion would be reallocated “likely within 30 seconds” to another community.
The cash for Hamilton’s project comes from the province’s Big Move funding pot reserved exclusively for rapid transit projects.
While unused money goes back to that pot, McMeekin noted it’s up to the transportation minister to determine how the money is spent, and how quickly.