Hamilton may soon be saying goodbye to HSR and hello to HSR+.

Or — to spell it out — HSR Plus.

A consultant hired by the city proposes tweaking the venerable abbreviated version of Hamilton Street Railway as part of a $410,000 branding and marketing makeover.

HSR+ hasn't been officially unveiled yet, but it's the consulting firm's "final recommendation," according to a leaked document obtained by The Spectator.

"I think we're in the process of choosing names and that is one of the names it's been narrowed down to," acknowledges city transit director David Dixon.

It's not clear how much of the $410,000 was actually spent on developing the name change because Entro Communications Inc. is also creating a marketing plan to encourage greater use of public transit and alternative travel choices.

The Toronto-based company settled on HSR+ after a list of some 250 possible names was winnowed to a shortlist of 15 through online surveys, citizen focus groups, and staff workshops.

Other brand names tested include Hamilton Area Transport (HAT), Hamilton Smart Routes, All Ways Hamilton, HSR Max, Mov-Us, and Swift Hamilton.

The consultants concluded that HSR+ is the strongest choice because it builds on HSR's 142-year-old heritage while the + sign conveys something new, improved, positive and optimistic.

They say the simplicity of HSR+ suggests an easy system to use, connotes choice, doesn't "overpromise" and has marketing legs for developing a visual identity.

The consultants also recommend keeping the blue and gold HSR crest but with some minor improvements to make it more readable.

"For those that want to modernize Hamilton, a fresh new symbol for the system as a whole will be a powerful symbol of progress," says the report.

According to Dixon, the branding exercise is tied to the Rapid Ready report on mobility, the LRT project, and the council-approved 10-year local transit strategy.

He expects to put the consultant's naming recommendation, suggestions how it could be applied, and a proposed marketing plan in front of council by summer or fall.

Dixon says a new name for the HSR could be used as a unifying symbol for a variety of mobility services ranging from buses to cycling and from pedestrian walkways to car and bike share programs.

"I think it's a good progressive exercise," said Dixon. "We need to better identify for our customers the different product offerings that we're going to put out."

If council agrees to fund the rebranding and marketing plan, Dixon says it's unlikely it will be applied to LRT because that project will be built and owned by the province.

"It's a provincial asset so I suspect it will be provincially branded."

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The naming focus groups took place at City Hall in December. They consisted of 15 meetings with an average of five participants per group, which included parents of preschoolers, cyclists, commuters, students, transit riders, and motorists open to using transit.

According to the consultant's report, Hamilton Smart Routes and Hamilton Area Transport (HAT) were the second and third picks after HSR+.

All Ways Hamilton was also a strong contender, but apparently its association with a like-named feminine hygiene product was deemed a "catchy negative" drawback, whatever that might mean.