Representatives from Metrolinx made a presentation at Hamilton City Hall on Friday offering an update on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.

READ MORE: Hamilton LRT design update

Community groups took the opportunity to voice concerns and present recommendations. Housing and tenant advocate Emily Power said, “LRT has become the primary agent of gentrification and displacement in the lower city, pushing working class people out of the few remaining affordable neighbourhoods.”

Power wants more compensation and support for those displaced by the LRT project, “build social housing units for displaced tenants to move into, bake in tenant protections and rental unit replacement policies.”

Concerns about the impact of the project on displaced low-income renters were echoed by the Hamilton Community Benefits Network (HCBN).

Karl Andrus of HCBN said, “I would suggest on behalf of the Hamilton Community Benefits Network that you look at between one and two years of minimum at market rent for the replacement of the units they were in.”

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The HCBN presented its 60-plus page report detailing community feedback on the LRT and told today’s meeting of the Light-Rail Transit Sub-Committee that it expects the city and Metrolinx to create a community benefits working group. Something the committee voted to have city staff look into and report back in June.

Mohammed Alshalalfeh of HCBN said, “This working group should be used to help with the co-development and implementation of the Metrolinx identified pillars.”

The pillars are four types of benefits Metrolinx says will result from the project which were presented during its update to the sub-committee today.

Jason Fellen with Metrolinx says changes in Hamilton mean some new design considerations should be implemented, “there are new priorities, new initiatives, two-way conversion of Main Street has come to light, new focus on cycling infrastructure and HSR integration.”

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The city also looking at design refinements, like additional pedestrian crossings, cycling infrastructure, and connection points to other transit routes.

Abdul Shaikh from the City of Hamilton said, “The city has implemented new plans and policies which warrant evaluating and modifying the design.”

Metrolinx says it continues to acquire properties along the route to facilitate the project,
telling the sub-committee about 60 have been acquired, 43 of which have been demolished. It says 35 full buyouts and 300 partial buyouts remain to be done.

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