Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Hamilton’s transit division has launched public consultation on the proposed (re)Designed Transit Network.
An open house held last week was the first of several activities planned between now and the end of September. Community members may visit engage.hamilton.ca to complete the survey or for details about future events. The information collected during this public consultation phase will guide adjustments to the network design that will be presented to Council in early 2024.
“The (re)Designed Transit Network strategically places hubs at major trip-generating locations across Hamilton based on land use, employment and interregional connections. In combination with other network features, this makes transit a convenient and more attractive option to more Hamiltonians,” said Maureen Cosyn Heath, Director of Transit, HSR. “The (re)Designed Network is a transformative city-building project that marks a significant step forward for transit in Hamilton.”
The (Re)envision the HSR began in 2019 to transform the customer experience and redesign HSR’s transit network from the ground up to best meet Hamilton’s current and future transit needs. As part of (Re)envision the HSR, the Transit Division interacted with more than 13,000 survey respondents, community members and stakeholders.
A revamped and overhauled transit strategy was released in April, which includes longer HSR service hours, faster trips with fewer stops, and future LRT and GO Transit integration that would encourage seamless travel.
The report, prepared with the help of McMaster University, provided an overview of (Re)envision HSR: (re)Designed Network.
“The purpose of (Re)envision was to redesign the City of Hamilton’s transit network from the ground up to ensure that the network meets the needs of the Hamilton of today and tomorrow, and to have a ‘rail ready’ network structured around the Hamilton LRT,” states the report.
The LRT will run along the Main-King-Queenston corridor through the lower city, from McMaster University to Eastgate Square.
“A well-functioning and fully accessible transit network benefits all Hamiltonians including non-transit users,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Enabling more people to choose transit helps reduce congestion and car emissions while moving people efficiently around the city. This better positions us to tackle the climate emergency and grow sustainably.”
The proposed overhaul would significantly increase connectivity between local and regional transit, particularly at Hamilton’s two newest GO stations at the West Harbour and Confederation.
“This is an important aspect of the new network to support economic prosperity, connecting people to employment and tourism alike,” reads the report.