Premier Doug Ford calls Hamilton LRT a 'good project'

Premier Doug Ford says he's been working closely with Mayor Fred Eisenberger on light-rail transit (LRT) in Hamilton, and called it a "good project" in a media briefing on Thursday.

"The ideal situation is do what the mayor wants to do," Ford said in an appearance at Heddle Shipyards. "If everyone agrees, then the LRT."

He said he could not give a 100 per cent direct answer to the question of whether the province would endorse LRT or bus rapid transit.

The two levels of governments have been talking about sharing the cost, and Ford reiterated that the project would need support from the federal government to proceed. The province, he said, is bringing $1 billion to the table.

That billion dollars was committed in 2015 by the then-liberal provincial government, led by Kathleen Wynne.

Ford said it's critical that everyone, including the city council, cooperate.

"Everyone's going to be pitching in," he said. "I think it's a good project, we just have to get moving on."

Meanwhile, federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, a Hamilton native, said in October that Ottawa is waiting for more information from the province.

McKenna said she'sbeen in regular contact with Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney about LRT, as well as Hamilton businesses. But she wants more information.

"I look forward to receiving a full proposal for this project so that we can finally move things forward," she said.

Eisenberger has said that the province also wants to look at including the private sector in the LRT's mix of funding. In October, Eisenberger said he was "more hopeful" than he had been in the past couple of years.

Last December,Transportation MinisterCaroline Mulroney cancelled the project, saying it would cost too much. Months later her task force decided to still spend the earmarked $1 billion on LRT or bus rapid transit system.

The province priced the LRT at around $5 billion, but other reports one backed by the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), and one by Turner and Townsend have since suggested lower costs.

Metrolinx said it would start demolishing 21 buildings along the LRT corridor in November.