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

[Steve X]

As part of the lease the 407ETR was granted the right to increase lanes as the volume of traffic increased (but only when specified demand warrants it). Future growth of lanes depends on the term on the contract. I assume that the contract has a set maximum amount of lanes/space that they can occupy (but I have not read the contract to know if that is true or the number of lanes they can grow to).

Remember, the 407ETR was sold when there was virtually zero volume on it and as such the bidders had no guarantee of income. Hence the favourable terms of the contract. The province was so worried about volume they specified that the 407ETR had to pay them if there was not enough traffic (goal was to de-congest the 401)

I believe they are pretty much at the maximum designed weight allowed for the overpasses that carry the highway. They couldn't widen it anymore. The 407ETR is also responsible for paying for all the lanes they add to the highway. This might not be as successful if MTO still owned the highway as people will get angry at the high rates and thus Queens Park can't afford to widen the highway as much as the 407 ETR did. So the 407 might end up with more congestion if MTO still owned it. The 407 wasn't completed at the time of the sale. Part of the contract was for the 407 ETR to finish off the highway with their own funds. There was a fuss about lower standards on those sections built. So a couple of billion was invested on the 407ETR after the sale and still is today.

Meanwhile they are widening the highway in the Pickering part of the 407ETR to match the 6 lane highway of the 407 EAST. https://www.407etr.com/en/highway/highway/construction-update.html

With the 30 year maintenance contract, all investments would be MTO's responsibility. MTO would have to budget for any new lanes on the 407 EAST, new interchanges or any other construction cost.

 

[aquateam]

Tying the expansion of lanes with increase in demand seems like horrible network design, considering induced demand.

1. New lanes induce demand
2. New lanes must be built to accommodate demand

Repeat until all of Ontario is paved over

Except that induced demand isn't the same with proper road pricing, which is what we see with the 407.

 

[drum118]

Metrolinx bought former Herbie's property for an LRT terminus, but now the plan has changed

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Metrolinx bought former Herbie's property for an LRT terminus, but now the plan has changed

A fuss over nothing. Metrolinx will likely get a healthy profit from selling this.

 

[mdrejhon]

A fuss over nothing. Metrolinx will likely get a healthy profit from selling this.

This has happened to many major projects -- freeways, new railroads, etc -- par for the course. There's often surplus land when plans gets changes.

It will now be profitable selling accidental surplus land to what is now a valuable development. It might take a while to sell, since buyers are waiting for the LRT to actually have shovels in ground -- then once that happens, then, kaboom, accidential profit.

I do have more criticisms -- Metrolinx delaying expansions to Hamilton GO train service (nudge nudge, West Harbour GO, nudge, nudge) or omitting stations on Hamilton LRT (e.g. Gage Park, now since added back) -- than I have of little things like this that Metrolinx will get "accidental profit" off.

It's wonderful our city's LRT is now extended to Eastgate. As a much more major transit endpoint, I feel it will easily double long-term ridership of the LRT, for only that ~25% extra length. That's why this little plot of land is now surplus to Metrolinx.

 

[mdrejhon]

Updated plan just posted today.

• Design drawings/maps (PDF, 37.33 MB)

(From City of Hamilton's website)

General comments (good'n'bad):
- Potential expropriations appears to have changed
.....For example, wedge building at Delta appears to be saved (AFAIK)
.....Seems to be predicted building demolitions at Sherman+Main
- Crossovers found at various intervals, appears to be used for switching direction of LRVs (which are double ended) -- may be good for keeping service running if route is blocked by an accident.
- Mainly centre platforms.
- There's clear provisions for LRT extension westwards
- LRT underpass at CP railroad is a 5.5 degree grade (LRVs can do 8-10 degrees)
- Delta design doesn't appear to be future-friendly to future 2-way Main conversion

Here's some zooms (covering less than one percent of the surface of the design drawings)

Be noted, this is less than one percent of the design! The PDF file is hugely detailed - dozens of pages designed to be printed at wall-size.

Other documents of interest from City of Hamilton's LRT page:

Hamilton LRT 2017 EPR Addendum - Proponent Letter (PDF, 637 KB)
Hamilton LRT 2017 EPR Addendum – Minister’s Notice to Allow a Change (PDF, 332 KB)

Quick links

• Notice of EPR Addendum (PDF 427 KB)
• Main EPR document - amended (PDF, 13.9 MB)
• Design drawings/maps (PDF, 37.33 MB)
• View the full EPR Addendum

 

[mdrejhon]

From the city's website:

2017 Environmental Project Report Addendum

An addendum to the Environmental Project Report (EPR) for the Hamilton B-Line Light Rail Transit Project, including a summary and all other required documents, has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and is now available for a 30-day review period from May 29 to June 28, 2017.

Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) 2017 Environmental Project Report (EPR) Addendum - Amended (PDF, 13.9 MB)

Appendix A: City of Hamilton 2011 B-Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Environmental Project Report (EPR) (PDF, 10.7 MB)
Appendix B: Design Plates and Cross-sections (PDF, 38.2 MB)
Appendix C-1: Hydrogeology Report(PDF, 23 MB)
Appendix C-2: Contamination Overview Study (PDF, 18.9 MB)
Appendix C-3: Ecology Report (PDF, 173.71 MB)
Appendix C-4: Arborist Memo, Endangered Species (PDF, 477 KB)
Appendix C-5: Supplemental Tree Inventory (PDF, 44 MB)
Appendix C-6: Air Quality Existing Conditions and Air Quality Study (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Appendix C-7: Stormwater Management Report (PDF, 5.1 MB)
Appendix C-8: Review of B-Line Geotechnical Report (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Appendix C-9: Noise and Vibration Report (PDF, 5.1 MB)
Appendix C-10: Stage 1 Archaeology Assessment Report (2009 - 2017) (PDF, 23.2 MB)
Appendix C-11: Cultural Heritage Screening Report: Part 1 of 3 (PDF, 4.5 MB)
Appendix C-11: Cultural Heritage Screening Report: Part 2 of 3 (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Appendix C-11: Cultural Heritage Screening Report: Part 3 of 3 (PDF, KB)
Appendix C-11: Gap Analysis (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 1 of 6 (PDF, 13.3 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 2 of 6 (PDF, 11.7 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 3 of 6 (PDF, 12.8 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 4 of 6 (PDF, 12.7 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 5 of 6 (PDF, 9,5 MB)
Appendix C-11: CHERS: Part 6 of 6 (PDF, 22.3 MB)
Appendix D-1: Hamilton LRT PIC #1 Consultation Appendix (PDF, 65.5 MB)
Appendix D-2: Hamilton LRT PIC #2 Consultation Appendix (PDF, 79.74 MB)
Appendix D-3: Aboriginal Consultation Record (PDF, 994 KB)
Appendix D-4: Record of Circulation of Draft EPR, Comments, and Responses - Amended (PDF, 3.6 MB)
Appendix D-5: Public Consultation Record - Amended (PDF, 14.5 MB)
Appendix E-1: EMME Ridership Forecasting Report (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Appendix E-2: Wider Area Impacts Report (PDF, 12.6 MB)
Appendix E-3: VISSIM Modelling Report (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Appendix F: High-Order Pedestrian Connection (PDF, 2.5 MB)

 

[drum118]

Province says Hamilton's LRT plan can move forward

 

[Allandale25]

Hamilton LRT in the news today. Key line: "The request is expected to delay the LRT approvals by a couple of months, said Metrolinx project head Andrew Hope after the meeting."

Council votes for HSR workers to operate Hamilton’s LRT

City councillors are backing HSR transit workers to become the new Light Rapid Transit line operators.

Councillors voted 10 to 4 after a lengthy debate at their general issues committee meeting Wednesday to have Metrolinx put the Hamilton Street Railway and its Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 in charge of operating the LRT and carrying out the maintenance work for it. The vote will go to council for formal approval on August 18.

The request is expected to delay the LRT approvals by a couple of months, said Metrolinx project head Andrew Hope after the meeting.

About 150 of the 700 Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 representing HSR bus drivers, maintenance workers and administrative staff showed up at 8 a.m. at City Hall for a 'Keep Transit Public' rally before going into the GIC meeting.

Local 107 president Eric Tuck praised the councillors for "ensuring transit workers have jobs for the future" and for keeping that part of transit public rather than privatized.

He said LRT is heavy on maintenance and having those maintenance jobs as well as operator jobs is important to HSR workers.

At the rally, Coun. Matthew Green, who was presenting the motion to have HSR operate and maintain the LRT, said "I put my name on the good jobs and careers it would bring to the city"

"There is a resounding support that we need to move forward … to keep transit public," he told the crowd."

Hamilton District Labour Council president Anthony Marco said the LRT is now an opportunity to also bring good jobs with union wages to Hamilton.

He said it was time to send a message to Premier Kathleen Wynne that Hamilton wants the LRT investment, but also wants good jobs and not the precarious, low wage ones that are becoming so common in the province.

 

[Amare]

Here we go again with Hamilton and this saga. Honestly at this point I wouldnt mind if the province pulled the funds from Hamilton the way politicians here keep playing games with the LRT. Im sure they could have made this request much sooner instead of waiting until the last minute.

They do all this and it's still very unlikely the province will change their position on the matter.

 

[Steve X]

Here we go again with Hamilton and this saga. Honestly at this point I wouldnt mind if the province pulled the funds from Hamilton the way politicians here keep playing games with the LRT. Im sure they could have made this request much sooner instead of waiting until the last minute.

They do all this and it's still very unlikely the province will change their position on the matter.

Yeah, they didn't want to put too many requests in at once. They got the extension and it's time for this. Queen's Park wants Hamilton to pay for the operating and maintenance after all like the TTC have to.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Hamilton LRT in the news today. Key line: "The request is expected to delay the LRT approvals by a couple of months, said Metrolinx project head Andrew Hope after the meeting."

This doesn't make much sense to me. Hamilton Street Railway has zero modern experience operating and maintaining urban railways. They're starting from zero. More experience could be found in private sector partners.

This arrangement only really makes sense for operators like the TTC, which brings tons of experience to the table.

 

[smallspy]

This doesn't make much sense to me. Hamilton Street Railway has zero modern experience operating and maintaining urban railways. They're starting from zero. More experience could be found in private sector partners.

This arrangement only really makes sense for operators like the TTC, which brings tons of experience to the table.

And they can't train anyone to do it? What do you think that those "private sector partners" are doing?

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[wopchop]

This seems like a good deal. The Province wanted Hamilton to pay for operations and maintenance. Hamilton just offered to pay for operations and maintenance by offering up the HSR as the transit operator. Seems like a win-win.

This likely won't happen, as it cuts out the profits of the consortiums. But I'm sure Metrolinx will try to spin some bullshit.

 

[Steve X]

This seems like a good deal. The Province wanted Hamilton to pay for operations and maintenance. Hamilton just offered to pay for operations and maintenance by offering up the HSR as the transit operator. Seems like a win-win.

This likely won't happen, as it cuts out the profits of the consortiums. But I'm sure Metrolinx will try to spin some bullshit.

It might cost the city more in the long run but the city has more control over money spent on operations and scheduling. HSR would be able to revise schedule or operate more service easier than requesting the consortium over ML to make changes. Of course there will still be limitations as the vehicles don't belong to HSR and would change the life cycle of certain parts that Hamilton would have to pay for.