Metrolinx has put the breaks on buying land that’s needed for Hamilton’s billion dollar LRT project because of a provincial spending freeze by the new Ford government. Metrolinx has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the project.

The mayor saying that 130 million dollars has already been spent on the LRT, the bulk of it to acquire properties along the future line. He met with Premier Ford yesterday and Eisenberger says the city is moving forward on the billion dollar project.

Even though Metrolinx has stopped buying the land after the Doug Ford government imposed a temporary freeze on hiring and discretionary spending until it can get a closer look at the province’s finances.

The transportation minister says the government will wait and see what the city’s transit priorities are after the municipal election and say whether it is for the $1 billion LRT project or other projects that council wants to fund. The opposition calling for Ford to reverse the freeze saying it means the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars

During the election campaign Ford promised he would give Hamilton council the choice of going ahead with the LRT or using the funding for other infrastructure projects if that’s what was decided after the October election.