Hamilton Hamilton Line B LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Interesting that they didn't take that approach with the Ontario Line - Hitachi rolling stock likely made in Italy!

Alstom have been binning the majority of the BBD intellectual property - seems very unlikely they would stick with a BBD Flexity product given that they are only advertising Citadis products. https://www.alstom.com/solutions/ro...l-designed-reflect-your-citys-unique-identity
OL Contract has Canadian Content requirements, so final assembly will require setting up a local facility.
 
Perhaps ML has learned from the failed Quebec City Tram bid. They may still go with Alstom but opening the bids up will hopefully drive the price down.
 
Interesting that they didn't take that approach with the Ontario Line - Hitachi rolling stock likely made in Italy!

Canada signed a free trade agreement with the EU a few years ago. Canadian content requirements would breach that agreement.
 
Canada signed a free trade agreement with the EU a few years ago. Canadian content requirements would breach that agreement.
That’s actually untrue. I swear I remember reading about this, and it took me a while to find it during lunch (instead of simply linking to CETA):

“Another important carve out for goods is the procurement of mass transit vehicles in Ontario and Quebec. While the obligations under CETA will generally apply to procurement of these vehicles, the two provinces have an exemption allowing them to accord a preference for Canadian content. Specifically, both provinces are allowed to require bidders to allocate 25% of the contract value to domestic Canadian content. In this case, “contract value” is defined broadly to include the cost of components, raw materials, labour, maintenance services and all “final assembly” costs incurred in Canada.”

Source: https://www.mccarthy.ca/en/insights...ment-sub-federal-procurement-challenges-ahead
 
Considering the billions of dollars spent by the provincial and federal governments to subsidize the auto industry, it's good to have something to protect the transit industry. Sometimes, I wonder if the provincial and federal governments are serious about transit, walking, and cycling when they spend so much money to subsidize the auto industry.

They have a vested interest in people driving as much as possible. People need to buy cars, drive, wear out their cars and buy new cars as quickly as possible; otherwise, the government won't recoup its investments in our auto plants.
 
OL Contract has Canadian Content requirements, so final assembly will require setting up a local facility.
Of course the Ford Government cut this requirement from 25% to only 10%. So in all likelihood, the trains will be made in Hitachi’s new American facility with a few components sourced from Canada.
 
Of course the Ford Government cut this requirement from 25% to only 10%. So in all likelihood, the trains will be made in Hitachi’s new American facility with a few components sourced from Canada.
And rightfully so. Propping up an uncompetitive production plant in Thunder Bay costs taxpayers hundreds of millions.
 
And rightfully so. Propping up an uncompetitive production plant in Thunder Bay costs taxpayers hundreds of millions.
And this is partly why Canada remains a resource extraction economy on the export front. (And yes, well-educated people who move to the US after studying in Canada are another example of that.)
 
Nothing really new to add, just some perspective.
I'm currently in Calgary for work. I was off today so decided to check out the downtown. Downtown Calgary feels very similar to downtown Hamilton. Old office buildings, massive one way roads, surface parking lots next to towers.

I headed down to the "free fare" zone for the C-trains. I was surprised at how fast the trains travelled and the frequency of trains. Also ridership seemed really high. It was 4pm and every train was full.

I could definitely see Hamilton's LRT operating very similar to Calgary's C-trains. I hope Hamilton's LRT trains will travel as fast. I really think the city should push harder for the 403 bridge and not implement the two 90° turns at Dundurn.

I also saw the C-trains running through the North-East suburbs of Calgary (my hotel is near the airport) and helped me to envision another potential line running up on the mountain potentially connecting to LimeRidge. Probably wouldn't be connected to the Main St. line due to the escarpment.
 
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Article has quotes from Josh Matlow but also interviewed someone from Waterloo who said this:

By contrast, the former top bureaucrat of Waterloo Region said that municipality's privately built and operated light rail line is working well.

There are other quotes in the article about contacts having carrots and sticks.

Also:

The LRT subcommittee meets at 1 p.m. on Jan. 29 to consider the operations recommendation and hear delegations.

Might be other key points of interest in the article just ran out of time to write more but wanted to post more than just the link.
 
Another key point:

At the meeting, councillors will consider a staff recommendation to contract out the running and maintenance of Hamilton's long-planned, 14-kilometre light-rail line — but also reserve the right to take over operations after a decade.

It's worth remembering that city council can debate and endorse LRT operating options, but the final decision is actually up to provincial transit agency and project manager Metrolinx.
 

Article has quotes from Josh Matlow but also interviewed someone from Waterloo who said this:



There are other quotes in the article about contacts having carrots and sticks.

Also:



Might be other key points of interest in the article just ran out of time to write more but wanted to post more than just the link.
Also quotes the waterloo official saying the poor winter service is due to lack of penalties in the contract, so it isn't all rosy.

It's going to be MX's choice in the end but the City should maintain the position of HSR operations.

JP Danko came out against Matlow on twitter in what seemed like a very petty turf war, it's like Danko is attempting to speedrun old guard status on council.
 
Another key point:

At the meeting, councillors will consider a staff recommendation to contract out the running and maintenance of Hamilton's long-planned, 14-kilometre light-rail line — but also reserve the right to take over operations after a decade.

It's worth remembering that city council can debate and endorse LRT operating options, but the final decision is actually up to provincial transit agency and project manager Metrolinx.
I watched the committee meeting today. That's what I was thinking. The city has no say in how this thing will be operated. It's entirely up to the province and metrolinx.
 

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