Ford government asks feds for $1.5B in funding for Hamilton LRT project

The Ontario government is asking the federal government for money to build a light rail line in Hamilton.

Provincial officials confirm they are submitting a Hamilton LRT as one of five projects for federal transit funding.

The province says it is willing to put in $1 billion for the project if other partners, like the federal government, step up to the table.

“We’re keeping our word and honouring our $1 billion capital commitment to transportation
infrastructure investments in the City of Hamilton, and we urge the federal government to
join us in building a viable LRT,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney in a statement.

In 2019, the Ford government cancelled the project, which would have seen an LRT line from McMaster University to Eastgate Square, citing cost concerns.

After that, the province created a transportation task force to review possible transit options in the city.

That task force released a report concluding that an “intra-city higher-order” transit project, like the LRT, was their preferred option.

In a news release sent out on Tuesday, the provincial government suggests a line that runs from McMaster University to Gage Park could be a “viable option” pending federal funding.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna says she will discuss the project with the province and city but would not yet commit the funding.