The arguments to derail LRT are downright insulting to the intelligence of anyone who's been following the file on this project for the last 10 years.

There's not enough time or space to expose all of the tiresome fear mongering, distracting, and false reasoning but consider just this one: the claim that there are numerous other transportation technologies on the horizon which will make LRT obsolete.

Anything from tube travel, driverless cars, jetpacks, hover boards, to even BRT (which has been studied already and decided against in favour of LRT), are provided as examples of superior technology that are around the corner. To understand the problem with this form of logic one only needs to consider the fact that none of these alternatives, apart from BRT, is a realistic option to pursue given what is currently on the table: $1 billion for time tested, well studied, and planned mass public transit/ infrastructure project that is the LRT vs. many more years of debate and dithering across numerous more election cycles about some unknown technology that by the time its studied and planned for will likely also become obsolete.

The absurdity of the argument becomes clearer by this example: To abandon LRT and all its benefits for some future unknown mass public transit technology is akin to relinquishing efforts to fight climate change here on planet Earth because of the belief that humanity will one day move to planet Mars anyway. Or, it would be like a child telling his mother after she offered him a nutritious meal that she took hours to prepare (which by the way he asked her for to begin with), that he suddenly wanted her to go shopping for some kind of candy to fill his sweet tooth. Although it's certainly possible in both cases, it's absolutely not likely or practical.

Ultimately living according to such beliefs and whims is highly irresponsible to the point of being blameworthy. Certainly, if we had actual realistic alternative mass public transit options before us today most reasonable people would agree it would be worth considering, but we don't. In the meantime, a tried tested and true opportunity for better mass public transit which nearly every other major city in the world has taken advantage of, LRT, will be lost for Hamiltonians. That would symbolize the triumph of poor reasoning indeed.

And yes, Hamilton does need reliable mass public transit today unless we want to continue to ignore the needs of the environment, economy, and taxpayers, which would be foolhardy to do. As for the push for BRT instead of LRT, or BRT creep, once again, the suggestion itself is tiresome and offensive as this option has been studied at length over the years. The suggestion is ultimately disingenuous in that those advocating for it should be opposed to it for the same reasons their opposed to LRT.

For one, BRT also requires separated lanes so is identical to LRT in this regard. BRT construction would cause the same level of disruption as LRT for arguably fewer long term benefits. In light of the separated lane requirement common to both systems, to suggest BRT is better than LRT because with BRT there exists the opportunity to have all sizes of buses is a moot point, and those making it are like the spoiled child turning down his mother's healthy cooking in exchange for a sugar craving.

What most advocates for BRT in this debate really mean is they want more express buses instead of LRT. Do Hamiltonians really want to be stuck behind more buses in traffic? Probably not. Coming up to another election and new council, the mass public transit roller-coaster ride has many feeling sick and tired. Let's not go backwards or prolong the issue but instead stay the course and build the LRT once and for all.