What community improvements do Hamiltonians want to see with the construction of the new LRT, in order to address social concerns and provide real, tangible benefits to the community?
Project Description: The Hamilton LRT is a planned transit line spanning 14 kilometers from McMaster University to Eastgate Square, and includes 17 stops. Although initially cancelled in 2019, the project was approved to proceed in 2021 and is being delivered by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx. $3.4 billion dollars of funding from both the federal and provincial governments shall be allocated towards the project. Currently, this route is being served by the 10-B Line Express HSR bus. Although the LRT is a project looking to expand transportation infrastructure in Hamilton, it has widespread implications for residents when considering factors such as housing, lived experiences of residents, the environment and employment. Therefore, engaging the community and negotiating a locally informed community benefits agreement is necessary.
Challenge Summary: This project will focus on engaging with residents across Hamilton to determine what community benefits they would like to see. Our challenge will be to reach out to various community groups, especially those that may be underrepresented, and compile their feedback and opinions during the community benefits engagement process. This work will help future engagement practices. It will also ultimately bring forward resident voices to Metrolinx and the City of Hamilton, helping to shape a made-in-Hamilton Community Benefits Agreement for the Light Rail Project.
Community Partners: Karl Andrus, Community Benefits Manager, Hamilton Community Benefits Network; Koubra Haggar, Lead Organizer, Hamilton Community Benefits Network
Faculty, Course & Students: Semester In Residence 2021, Amandeep Saini, Mirjana Poljak, Tom Parapilly, Mahek Shergill
