Hamilton to invest $77.4 million in transit initiatives

Hamilton says it will invest $77.4 million in transit initiatives.

It says it will continue year six of the 10-year Local Transit Strategy as highlighted in its 2022 budget.

Hamilton City Council approved the City of Hamilton’s 2022 Tax Supported Capital Budget on Dec. 15. 

The key investments into transit include:

• $19 million dedicated to the HSR Bus Replacement Program meant to replace 18 buses at the end of their life cycle.
• $11 million for HSR Expansion Buses that will see an additional 14 buses added to the fleet.
• An additional $2 million to improve the A-Line Priority Bus Corridor.

The city says all HSR replacement and expansion buses will be powered by natural gas. Currently, more than 51 per cent of the HSR fleet is natural gas. 

Hamilton said in May 2021, a joint funding announcement by the provincial and federal governments committed $3.5 billion to the capital cost of the 14 km Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. 

The project includes further investment in public infrastructure including roads, sidewalks, bridges, water mains, sewers, electrical distribution (hydro), telecommunications, natural gas, traffic control signals and streetlights.