A new report from the Pembina Institute shows Hamilton isn't the only city engaged in a back-and-forth battle to sell LRT to its citizens.

The light rail transit study, produced in partnership with sustainable city foundation Evergreen, looked at LRT planning and engagement in Hamilton, Waterloo, Ottawa and Mississauga-Brampton.

The report lauds Hamilton efforts like a door-to-door LRT corridor information campaign and "local leadership" from the chamber of commerce and citizen advocacy groups.

But it also acknowledges resident skepticism can be hard to overcome — particularly among those who feel left out of the decision-making process.

"We found that transit projects are contentious in some communities, but conflict is generally rooted in disagreement about local priorities or disappointment in the process," reads the report summary.

"Although cities have identified transit corridors in their plans for a long time, stakeholders were not always part of that process, which can lead to questioning of the proposed project."

In Hamilton, some councillors have complained about unilateral design decisions made by the provincial government, which is fully funding the $1-billion project.

A popular complaint among residents who oppose the project, meanwhile, is a poorly documented process to choose a route that now runs along King Street through the downtown, rather than along Main Street or another east-west artery.

The report provides case studies of successes and challenges in each of the four cities, including Brampton's decision to opt out of the final leg of the Hurontario LRT.

It also suggests a list of "success factors" like engaging early and well with all residents, preparing early for construction impacts, making planning and decision-making as transparent as possible and "embracing conflict."

Common challenges included aging infrastructure, disconnected planning processes and the sheer length of time it takes to plan for rapid transit — often through elections and changing political leadership.

To take a look at the full report, visit Pembina.org.