Hamilton deserves a full LRT, not more broken Liberal promises: Horwath

Queen’s Park – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath cautiously welcomed today’s funding announcement for Hamilton’s LRT. Horwath, who has been a long-time advocate for a Hamilton LRT, pointed out that the Liberals first committed to a Hamilton LRT back in 2007.  When shovels finally hit the ground in 2019 the track won’t go as far as promised.

“This morning we learned two things. First, we learned that at long last the government actually knows how to spell ‘LRT’ when it comes to Hamilton, but we also learned the neighbourhoods near Eastgate Square have been shutout of the government’s LRT plans.”

Horwath said that by failing to run the LRT to Eastgate Square as promised, surrounding areas will miss out on the economic uplift that the LRT would bring.  

“Instead of connecting to these neighbourhoods, the LRT will connect to a traffic circle,” said Horwath. “Why did the government break its promise to connect the LRT in Hamilton to Eastgate Square?” 

Wary of broken Liberal funding promises, and the false choice between keeping hydro public and building public transit, Horwath called on the Premier to keep her word this time. Horwath reminded the Legislature that when Kathleen Wynne was Minister of Transportation she cut $4 billion out of transit funding and put transportation projects on hold across the GTHA for years.

“This is the only Premier in the history of Ontario who hasn’t figured out how to keep hydro public and build infrastructure at the same time,” said Horwath. “What guarantee can this Premier offer Hamiltonians that this now very shortened and delayed LRT line will actually begin construction four long years from now?”