Hamilton LRT operations shouldn't be privatized, say advocates, citing concerns over accessibility, delays

The voices of advocates boomed outside of Hamilton city hall on a hot and humid Wednesday morning, as they urged council members to keep Hamilton's upcoming light rail transit (LRT) system public.

"When you walk down the sidewalk, sidewalks don't make a profit. You came through a public park, they don't make a profit. So public transit should never look to make a profit," said Anthony Marco, from Hamilton and District Labour Council.

He and speakers from other groups such as the Hamilton Transit Riders' Union and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) came together before a cityLRT subcommitteemeetingto make their case against the privatization of Hamilton's new LRT system.

"Hamilton Street Railway [HSR] should be in charge of operations and maintenance, not a third party hired by Metrolinx," said Eric TuckwithATULocal 107 in Hamilton, which represents HSRemployees such as city bus drivers.

The city signed an agreement withMetrolinx in 2021 to build the rail system. The $3.4-billion projectwill see 17 stops runalong14kilometresbetweenMcMaster University andEastgate,alternatelyon King and Main streets.

Construction has yet to begin.

"I want the LRT to be something that we can be proud of," addedMarco.

A staff report presented at the subcommittee meeting laid out four possible ways to handle the operation and maintenance of the LRT. None include a fully publicly controlled transit system.

Staff said the next opportunity for community input on the LRTwill be around the next subcommittee meeting onSept. 25, when staff are expected to present next steps of the project.

"I have to say, I'm disappointed," Karl Andrus of Hamilton Community Benefits Network told CBC Hamilton after the meeting.Andrus said hewas hoping for more of a push from council members for a conversation with Metrolinx about reducing a privately owned third-party's control in operation and maintenance of the LRT.

Advocate calls for council to be 'accountable for accessible transport'

Suad Abukamla, a board member withEnvironment Hamilton,said she was worried that a private companymight be less concerned about thecarbon footprint related toconstruction of the project.

"Privatization won't help the environment because sometimes to them, profit is of more value than the other aspects."

With approximately 20 per centof the city's population self-reporting a disability, Sahra Soudi from the Disability Justice Network of Hamilton was concerned that with privatization of the service, some people might not have the same access.

"There aren't very many forms as it is for disabled people to to take transit and tokeep it accessible, not in terms of just physical access, but also talking about costs," she said.

"We want to make sure that our city council is accountable for accessible transport and so we should be making sure that we are keeping transit public."

In an emailed statement to CBC Hamilton,Metrolinxsaid while the private sector "will be responsible for constructing the LRT," Metrolinx will own the infrastructure and will "ensure it is compliant with all accessibility and environmental legislation, including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act."

Metrolinxsaid it isengaging with the city as they work to determine the best operating model for the operations ofthe project."We will continue to collaborate with our city partners on all elements of the project's development and implementation," itsaid.

Learn from other LRT examples: union rep

If the operation and maintenance of the LRT is run privately, Brian Connollysaid heworried itcould possibly go down a path similar to "trainwreck transit systems" in other parts ofthe province.

Connolly, from ATU Local 113 inToronto, pointed to the exampleofOttawa's LRT system, whichhas been down for 10 days due to wheel bearing failures and has beenplagued with disruptions. The system is run as a public-private partnership, with a private company contracted for the maintenance.

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT project in Toronto has also seen delays and Connolly blamed a lack of accountability related to privatization. Metrolinx, which isoverseeing the project,has raised concerns the private consortium building the transit line hasn't offered a "credible plan" to complete it, according to confidential documents obtained exclusively by CBC Toronto.

Final project detailsto come: Metrolinx

Hamilton city council first considered an LRT in 2007. In 2015, the then-Liberal provincial government announced $1 billion to build the system. But in late 2019, the province by then under Progressive Conservative leadership cancelled the LRT, saying it would cost Hamilton taxpayers too much to operate.

The project got back on track in May of 2021 with the province and the federal government each committing $1.7 billion.

Metrolinx said in 2022it wasstill in the early stages of Hamilton LRT delivery.

On Wednesday, Metrolinx said final details regarding operations, models, and service levels wouldbecome available as work progresses on the project.

Major construction wasplanned to start in 2024but it is unclear if deadlines have been extended.