Hamilton mayor hopes to see draft LRT agreement before council in early August

Mayor Fred Eisenberger hopes to see a draft agreement for Hamilton's LRT project before council in early August.

That's certainly what we're aiming for. We want to get it on the table and finalize it sooner rather than later."

In June, council voted 9-6 to direct city staff to hash out a draft agreement in principle with Metrolinx to resume work on the $3.4-billion project.

The draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the provincial transit agency is to lay out responsibilities for operating and maintenance costs.

The city is expected to cover the day-to-day operating costs of the McMaster-to-Eastgate Square line, which staff have estimated to range from $6.4 million to $16.5 million per year.

The first opportunity to discuss the draft agreement is a general issues committee meeting on Aug. 4. The committee also meets Aug. 9.

In an email Thursday, a Metrolinx spokesperson said a date hadn't yet been confirmed, but the agency is working towards taking the draft MOU to council later this summer."

Last month's split council vote came after the provincial and federal governments announced they'd agreed to offer a combined $3.4 billion to cover the project's capital costs.

Eisenberger and pro-LRT councillors immediately celebrated the announcement - after the province pulled the project's plug in late 2019 - as an offer that couldn't be refused.

Others, meanwhile, questioned what the operating costs of the 14-kilometre line would be, as well as who would pay for capital overruns and longer-term maintenance.

Some also argue $3.4 billion for a 14-kilometre, Main-King-Queenston line would not be money well spent and favour emphasis on the development of a citywide network for bus rapid transit.

The draft agreement will have to be approved, which means another council vote.

One councillor, Brad Clark, who opposed moving forward with talks, however, said he'd support the majority-backed project from there on in.

The provincial and federal governments have asked the city to commit to the project as soon as possible to allow for construction to begin next year.

Another consideration is that the two funding partners face re-election battles within the year. Ontario is set to head to the polls by June 2022 and there's continued talk of a federal contest this fall.

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com