LRT update

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The initial design of Hamilton’s light rail transit route will be released by May. It will give people a chance to see what streets it will run along and where the stops will be. While we may not know the exact route the LRT will take, we do know that demolition could start in the spring of 2018 and construction will last for 6 years.

Business owners are all ready trying to plan for years of construction. They are learning that access to their store fronts will be disturbed for a long period of time.
“Customers aren’t going to be able to get to the front of your stores communicate to customers that they can come to your store by means of the ally way and back of your building.” Kathy Drewitt, Downtown BIA.

The International Village and the downtown BIA have joined forces to create the “up your ally project.” The city has kicked in $40 000 over the next two years. The money is being used to hire someone part time to communicate with businesses along the ally way, things like when to put your garbage out and how to keep the backs of their businesses looking tidy so that when construction does begin that will help them to be customer ready.

While new street lights have been installed in the ally stretching from James street to Wellington street on the north side of King street business owners say more needs to be done.
“We can’t advertise any of our goods out there. We already have a problem with crime in the back ally way. There is parking issues in the back ally way and just the other day a car got broken into. Several cars.”

The main focus of today’s LRT committee meeting was communication between the city and residents.