HSR-LRT meeting gets temporarily derailed

Delay caused by quorum worries, wish to give delegates time to speak

The city has postponed a pivotal public meeting on LRT originally slated for Friday despite a growing list of residents who want to talk transit with councillors.

The city is now trying to reserve a meeting date in December – as well as a new location, since council chambers at City Hall will be under renovation starting Dec. 9.

The meeting is needed to discuss a new Metrolinx letter to council outlining its position – a reluctant yes – on whether the city can run a planned $1-billion, 14-kilometre light rail transit line.

But the transit agency is also urging council to abandon the idea and stick to the original plan to contract out operations.

Regardless, the city must make a decision by Jan. 24 – which leaves little time for debate outside of the holiday break at city hall.

The urgent session was originally supposed to start Friday after councillors finished debating the 2018 capital budget.

But city clerk Stephanie Paparella said too many councillors had scheduling conflicts to guarantee quorum for the duration of the meeting.

She said the city didn’t want to risk ending the meeting early when at least 10 citizens have asked to speak so far. “We’re looking to give the issue its own meeting on its own day,” she said.

Would-be delegates were surprised at the late meeting cancellation – and in some cases worried about whether they would be able to attend a meeting closer to the holidays.

Eric Tuck, president of the union for city bus drivers, said several members had planned to attend and speak to council Friday. Earlier this week, ATU Local 107 issued a statement hailing the decision to let council decide on operations – but also slamming the warning-filled letter from Metrolinx.

“We are dismayed that provincial leadership would allow a public agency to use fear-mongering and misinformation to pressure Hamilton’s councillors to change course,” the statement reads.

Other citizens will press council to stick to the original plan.

Arthur Gallant, who moved to Hamilton four years ago and regularly uses the HSR, said Thursday he prepared a speech for council and is “extremely disappointed” the meeting was postponed.

His speech, shared with The Spectator, describes his growing frustration with late or missing buses and urges council to invest more money in the HSR instead of spending it on “consultants” to study potential operation scenarios for LRT.

“While I have faith the HSR we have today will be much better in the future with continued change and more investments, nothing is guaranteed,” he writes, later adding “My heart wants to see HSR operate the LRT but my brain after having read and absorbing the facts, does not.”