(Updated)

The on-going saga over bus lanes through Hamilton`s downtown was on the agenda at tonight`s city council meeting. And love ’em or hate ’em, the controversial bus lanes aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

City council voted tonight to keep the lanes open until staff report back on the impact of the pilot project.

It has been a contentious issue since it was implemented in October of last year.

Transit advocates have lauded the dedicated bus lanes on King Street in downtown Hamilton. But some drivers and business owners along the route want them gone.

The pilot project has also divided Hamilton city council which was asked to vote on two motions, one by councillor Chad Collins asking that the project be killed immediately — the other by Mayor Fred Eisenberger who wanted council to hold off on a decision until they had read a staff report on the merits of the project.

In the end, council voted to wait another month before making a decision.

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger: “Nothing changes, there’s no stoppage in enforcement and council wisely said we will make our decision based on some evidence not just on the motions.”

Councillor Chad Collins: “It’s very discouraging because most of us heard at the door that people are not happy with the bus lanes and the problems they have created, so we are left now with another month to live with that situation.”

Councillor Jason Farr: “Was it split 50/50 in terms of opposition versus people in favour? At least in Ward 2, I could say that. It was an extremely difficult question to answer. But I can also definitively say that those who had an opinion, that opinion was discussed, shared with staff and staff will have those perspectives yea or nay in that report.”

Eisenberger: “If you were asking me what I would bet on, I would bet that the bus lanes are going to get nixed.”