Province says shorter LRT a go — if feds chip in
Ontario government now estimates it would cost up to $2.5 billion to build a nine-kilometre light rail line, but it will only put $1 billion into the project
Ontario is willing to build a shorter version of the Hamilton LRT project it controversially cancelled a year ago — so long as the federal government agrees to cover most of the expected $1.5-billion funding gap.
But if the federal Liberals aren’t on board with paying for a resurrected LRT, the provincial Progressive Conservative government also has a new Metrolinx study outlining bus rapid transit options instead.
About 13 months after killing the city’s original light rail transit project in the middle of construction bidding, the province announced Tuesday it is submitting a cheaper, shorter Hamilton LRT as one of five major “priority project” candidates for federal transit funding.
“We urge the federal government to join us in building a viable LRT,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, who announced the decision in a release Tuesday. “It’s going to take all levels of government to make a meaningful Hamilton LRT project a reality.”
The announcement includes a new Metrolinx estimate suggesting it would cost up to $2.5 billion to build a ninekilometre LRT line between McMaster University and Gage Avenue, the closest stop to Tim Hortons Field.
The province says it will pay $1 billion toward the project, leaving a funding gap of around $1.5 billion to be covered by
the federal government — and perhaps private partners.
The agency also predicts construction could not begin before 2023. But by comparison, a BRT line on the same corridor would need more study and only begin construction in 2025.
An increasingly divided city council, which previously voted to approve a 14-kilometre LRT fully funded by the province, was not asked to endorse the latest development in the roller-coaster light rail saga.
But Mayor Fred Eisenberger said the city’s “official position” remains support for a MainKing LRT and he is “cautiously optimistic and grateful” for the province’s renewed commitment to the project.
The mayor added his hope is that a shortened line would eventually extend to Eastgate Square. He does not expect the city to be asked to cover any capital costs, but suggested private dollars could supplement hoped-for federal funding.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna praised Hamilton’s LRT plan as a “shovel-ready” post-pandemic project in an emailed statement Tuesday, but did not say if a $1 billion-plus request was realistic.
Ontario has already asked for federal help on four other “priority” transit projects — including major GTA subway and LRT expansions — worth $28.5 billion. In 2018, the federal government promised $8.3 billion in new funding for transit infrastructure across Ontario over a decade.
“It’s good to see the Province of Ontario finally back at the table to discuss Hamilton’s LRT project. We’ve been encouraging them for months to come up with a serious plan,” McKenna said via email. “We’re not there yet, but we remain committed to working with the city, the province, LIUNA and other partners to get the public transit Hamiltonians deserve.”
Provincial officials confirmed the government continues to consider an unsolicited proposal from construction union LIUNA to help offset construction costs with up to $250 million from its pension arm.
LIUNA vice-president Joe Mancinelli, who loudly criticized the original decision to cancel LRT, was quoted in Tuesday’s announcement calling the renewed commitment to light rail an “optimistic step forward for getting shovels in the ground” on a project expected to create thousands of construction jobs.
The Doug Ford government pulled the plug on Hamilton’s 14-kilometre project between McMaster and Eastgate Square in December 2019 based on a ballooning budget of $5.5 billion.
At that point, the province had already spent $190 million on planning and land purchases and forced dozens of residents and businesses to move.
The cancellation spurred a public outcry, prompting the creation of a transportation task force that months later recommended the province fund either light rail or bus rapid transit on the same MainKing corridor.
Metrolinx has been reviewing those options since last spring and submitted a report in November 2020.
But that comparative study — which was compiled without any City of Hamilton consultation — only looked at options that could be funded for $1 billion. That means the review compared a nine-kilometre bus rapid transit line with a threekilometre, three-stop LRT between the university and Dundurn Avenue.
Based on that review, Metrolinx was instructed to report back on what a “reasonable, incremental LRT would look like, with an associated budget,” according to an agency letter to Mulroney in February.
Preliminary numbers suggest a nine-kilometre line between McMaster and Gage Avenue is the “minimum” reasonable length for a truncated line. Provincial officials said ongoing work is also expected to cost out extensions east of Gage that the federal government could choose to fund.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Tuesday the decision to shorten the funded route has “written off ” prospective riders from east Hamilton. She also argued the project should not have to wait on a federal contribution. “This should be funded, regardless.”
Some city councillors have expressed the desire to look more closely at bus rapid transit, which involves express buses running in separated lanes.
The Metrolinx report suggests a nearly nine-kilometre stretch of BRT would cost close to $900 million. The agency said the evaluated BRT did not perform “as strongly as we would have hoped,” in part due to predicted congestion.
The province would not say Tuesday if bus rapid transit is considered the default fallback if LRT funding is unavailable.
“We want to build an LRT for Hamilton; it’s shovel-ready, will better accommodate Hamilton’s growing population, and will generate more economic opportunities,” said a ministry spokesperson.