

The following guest opinion piece that appeared on Oct. 1 contains incorrect information. It says the Metrolinx report "Investing in Our Region" was the blueprint for how transit projects, including LRT for Hamilton, would be funded. In fact, that report was rejected by the province in favour of a different funding plan outlined in the budget.



I'm not sure how the idea of an Eastgate to McMaster Light Rail Transit (LRT) line has maintained its impressive traction without being seriously analyzed, but now seems like a good time to review where we are and ask some basic questions.

I understand that many proponents of the LRT line stress that it is "free" to Hamilton, in that the capital costs are to be fully funded by the Ontario government. This assertion does not bear scrutiny.

The Metrolinx report to the province dated May 27, 2013, entitled "Investing In Our Region," itemizes $34 billion (including an estimated $1 billion for Hamilton LRT) in transportation spending to be recovered from GTHA (The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) taxpayers at a rate of approximately $2 billion per year. The report ruled out all but 11 new dedicated revenue sources and recommends four new taxes for raising the $2 billion per year:

1. 1 per cent regional increase in HST to raise $1.3 billion;

2. $.05/litre regional increase in gasoline taxes to raise $330 million;

3. Business parking levy to raise $350 million;

4. 15 per cent increase in development charges to raise $100 million.

The report landed almost 16 months ago with a thud. Many people were shocked to learn their already high taxes would need to rise significantly, for 20 years at least, to pay for a long list of GTHA transit projects. The provincial government has been very vague since that report was issued, and it really hasn't come up with any alternatives (to the report in general, or with respect to Hamilton LRT in particular) that change this harsh reality for taxpayers.

Whatever choices are ultimately ordered from the unappetizing menu of new or increasing taxes, it is important to note that they will be applicable only in the GTHA, not in outside areas such as Ottawa or London. Hamilton taxpayers should be expected to pay a pro rata share of all of these new taxes or approximately $200 million per year (almost $400 per resident, or $1,000 per family, per year, for 20 years). These numbers should alarm anyone who cares about this city.

The report specifies that in the event that the HST is increased provincewide, revenues raised outside the GTHA would be excluded from the Metrolinx pot and made available for capital projects in communities outside the GTHA. In other words, cities like London and Ottawa would be able to spend their new tax money on whatever their priorities are. If Hamilton could spend $1 billion on capital projects without restriction, would we really choose an electric train?

The purpose of Metrolinx and their Big Move plan is to mitigate current and future traffic congestion in the GTHA. How did Hamilton LRT get on such a list of priorities?

The B-Line bus, which the LRT is supposed to replace, takes 31 minutes to travel the 15-kilometre route from Eastgate to McMaster. There are probably some inexpensive ways (relative to the $1 billion projected cost of LRT) to shave a couple of minutes off the journey, including addressing the unnecessary bottleneck at King and Wellington. In any event, many LRT proponents freely admit that the impetus for the project is to promote economic development, not because it is necessary.

By any measure, Hamilton LRT is a perfect example of a redundant, uneconomic and wasteful project that would be unaffordable if it were not free. As explained above, it is not free, and whether it will be "funded by the province" is a red herring. GTHA taxpayers will be targeted to pay for it, while those outside the GTHA will not.

An LRT in the lower city would do virtually nothing to alleviate traffic congestion. Regular commuters to Toronto recognize that traffic congestion in Hamilton is nowhere near as bad as in the GTA. Why should Hamilton's taxpayers be expected to pay for Toronto's traffic problems? London's aren't.

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There is no reason why Hamilton should want to be lumped in with the GTA in order to address severe Toronto traffic congestion. It only allows Toronto to spread its congestion-related costs to us. Except for the need to improve GO service to Hamilton, which is a relatively small investment justified by actual demand for service, it is not our problem. Our representatives at City Hall, many of them unequivocal supporters of Hamilton LRT, have a lot of explaining to do on this point.

Hamilton should get the "H" out of the GTHA.