And the Survey Says......

55% of decided respondents are against LRT. 

63% believe that a referendum should be held prior to a decision being made.



See Spec story here. 
See Polling for Numbers here. 

LRT and the Wisdom of Solomon

As the Mayor continues to double down on LRT, doing his best to convey the value of going forward, the question remains whether his colleagues are convinced.

No doubt, the project is large and complex and presents inherent risks, which is true for any such large scale project.

Some have proposed that the LRT solution is a solution that gets at our ailing infrastructure, and while that argument may be relevant, it may put the transit component of LRT in a secondary light. Does that add or detract from the value of LRT as a transit remedy; you decide.

Facing death by delay, Wednesday's vote will be very telling. With 30 million dollars  already spent, will council see Wednesday as an opportunity to curtail the spending on a project that is not right for Hamilton, or will it invest in LRT as the right solution for Hamilton?

One thing for certain, this moment will require the wisdom of Solomon.

Update: The Spec is reporting that the results of the city wide survey reveal that 55% of decided respondents, are against the project. See full article here. 

Pic of the Moment

Mayor Fred Eisenberger at his visit to the Waterloo Region’s LRT.

Here is the text of the Mayor's letter to Councillors, that was included inn this media release:



Dear Councillors,

I would like to take this opportunity to update you on my visit to the Waterloo Region’s LRT open this past Saturday.

As I arrived at the LRT’s maintenance and storage facility in Waterloo, I could not help but be impressed by the crowd of more than 1,000 people who lined up to see the LRT car and inspect the first LRT car firsthand. There were literally people of all ages on hand, from small children to seniors.

I was greeted at the open house by Ken Seiling, Waterloo Region’s chair. He explained to me that Waterloo Region has branded its LRT with the name ION. GrandLinq is the Region’s public-private

With Clr. Skelly- On LRT

Enjoy this Q/A with Clr. Donna Skelly:

Clr. Skelly: You have long been rather fearless about expressing your concerns about the LRT project.

Many are marrying the LRT funding to an opportunity to refresh our infrastructure and address other longstanding concerns. What do you say to those who warn that turning our backs on the 1 Billion is also akin to a missed opportunity to address our other related needs?

I have been consistently opposed to the LRT for a number of reasons. The funding package offered to us by the province could, in my view, be better spent on more modern transit options; such as electric buses. The money could also be used to expand GO service, and address the bottleneck at Aldershot. This $1 billion has never been about infrastructure, as the infrastructure that would be replaced has a lifecycle of between 10 and 15 years remaining. If the money can be used towards updating infrastructure, there are many other projects in the city with a higher priority.

Food for Thought with Alex Bielak - A Slice Off the Old Block

A slice off the old Block

A month or so ago, a cooking buddy gave me the heads up about a new place in Burlington I had to visit. Thanks Chris!

Barely into its third month of business, the Block Company’s website is as full of promise as the newish John Street store. The brainchild of restaurant business veteran, Troy Smith, the narrow shop features a refrigerated case containing an enticing array of cured meats and premium cheese.

Smith’s friend, Chef Joshua Ross, is lending a helping hand to get the business off the ground. He says “It’s all about the best of the best, so the public can have access to restaurant quality charcuterie and special cheeses.” The latter are mainly local artisanal offerings, including great ones from the Upper Canada Cheese Company in Lincoln, New Hamburg’s Mountainoak and Gunn’s Hill in Woodstock. There are also international gems like the sumptuous – and mortgage-worthy – Truffle Sottocenere from Italy, among others.

Smith says “My charcuterie and cheese is forever changing, hence why I don’t have an online menu. We have a community board here at the shop where locals make a list of things they would like to

Polling for Numbers

Policy by polling is a very slippery slope and resorting to it to inform the LRT debate is more a reflection of desperation than anything else. 

It seems that some politicians are investing in an expected "ah ha" moment that would fall out of the poll. Let's assume that 80% of the people polled felt LRT was a great idea. Or that 80% felt it was a terrible idea. What does it really tell us, and should we hang this decision on a poll?

We suspect that what all sides of the equation would agree on, is that LRT is a big project; one that is rife with layers of complexity. That inofitself is not sufficient to determine its fate. Many projects are by nature, complex. 

And so after years of consideration, votes, information packages, debates,briefings and the like, are we to believe that a poll of 2100 people no less, could help tip the balance?

Polls are useful tools and they have a time and place. Effective community input is a critical component of any endeavor, and input on the LRT project, if anything, has been abundant and spirited.  

We hope the poll is administered as effectively as possible and its results beyond dispute. But even so, what will it prove and what does it say about Hamilton's ability to make appropriate decisions?