City councillors are worried transportation for the Pan Am Games will turn into a fiasco after learning the province will handle all shuttle service during the summer sporting event.

The concern sits in the long shadow of Hamilton's incomplete stadium, a $145-million Infrastructure Ontario project that was supposed to be finished last July.

"We don't have control. We're sitting on the sidelines watching this thing and frustrated as hell that they're late," said Coun. Lloyd Ferguson after listening to a Pan Am update at a public works committee meeting Monday.

Staff said the Ministry of Transportation has taken over responsibility for shuttle services and parking operations, a decision rooted in economies of scale with seven Pan Am venues bundled into the contract.

That's a U-turn from a previous transportation blueprint that had the city in the driver's seat.

"Somehow it ended up in the province's hands," said Coun. Sam Merulla, who along with Ferguson, was surprised by the change.

An MTO spokesperson noted a request for bids was posted publicly and discussions with city staff "determined it would make sense that the Hamilton venue would be part of this procurement."

"With the experience and qualifications of the selected vendor, and working in co-operation with City of Hamilton staff, we're confident that we can deliver successful spectator parking operations," Bob Nichols wrote in an email to The Spectator.

Nichols wouldn't name the successful bidder but said details will be made public in "coming days."

The shuttle service will consist of school buses transporting spectators between the Melrose Avenue North soccer venue and parking lots, noted Coralee Secore, manager of Pan Am initiatives for the city.

Meanwhile, the HSR is confident its existing service can accommodate any Pan Am bump, given ridership in summer typically dips and that events are later in the day, when there are fewer people taking transit, staff said.

Coun. Scott Duvall, however, was skeptical, noting buses from the Mountain to the stadium "are jammed" during Ticat games.

Hamilton has already been "embarrassed" once by Infrastructure Ontario's botched stadium project, which has been plagued by delays, said Ferguson, who insisted penalties for subpar operation should be built into the shuttle/parking contract.

Merulla hopes the MTO will turn out a better performance than Infrastructure Ontario's stadium effort. "I can't believe that they would be a total failure on both fronts."

During Monday's meeting, public works head Gerry Davis reiterated he doesn't believe Infrastructure Ontario will meet a Jan. 30 deadline for substantial completion of the new stadium. "I highly doubt it."

Davis said elevators at the stadium (Tim Hortons Field) aren't yet fully functional and noted ongoing mechanical and electrical issues.

He's hopeful the stadium will be finished by the end of February but said work could drag into April.

The city is working to dedicate 3,600 parking spots for the Games.

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Between the former Dominion Glass site and an ArcelorMittal Dofasco lot, the city has secured 1,600 "Park N Walk" spots. Another 100 will be at the Scott Park site, just south of the stadium.

An option for about 400 spots at Gage Avenue and Burlington Street fell through when U.S. Steel sold the property, Secore noted, but the gap could be filled at Mohawk College and McMaster University.

There will also be 500 valet and 500 unsupervised spots for bicycles at Prince of Wales school on Melrose Avenue North.