ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[jeffster]

Part of the issue with Hamilton is that they want this LRT for completely free. Ford is talking about the $5B cost, when it's actually $3B (still 3x more than original estimate). So are we to assume that Ontario was also going to pay for the operational cost as well? I believe here in KW we're paying 100% of the operational costs (which then you have to minus any funds already received from user payments and federal and provincial transfers).

All the cost figures I was able to find said about $1M for the capital costs (construction and running stock, I expect), and that does not appear to have changed significantly. Is the $3M including something like $2M for operations?

The $5.5M number that Mulroney threw out boggles the mind. Apples and watermelons?

My understanding that the cost ballooned to $3B for rolling stock, property acquisitions, construction, and everything up to service date. That additional $2B is operational costs for whatever number of years. That $2B is disingenuous -- it's like our costs also went up to whatever, but also included operating it for 30 years (was it just over $2B for KW?). But that's how it went from $1B to $5B. As far as I know, neither the provincial or federal are on the hook for anything else regarding the ION.

In Hamilton, I believe that Metrolinx was going to run this system, paid solely by the province, with no money from the city, though apparently Hamilton was going to keep the fair money.

Now, personally, I never understood how this project was only going to cost $1B in the first place. KW was close to $800M -- and that was years ago that we started. Factor in inflation, our system is probably closer to $1.1B now, if we were to start. A good chunk of our LRT is along previous rail corridors, and also within a relocated hydro corridor. That saved a lot of money. When the first heard of Hamilton LRT, I though initial costs would be close to $2.5B, and was surprised that it was going to be so little.

My guess is that the previous Liberal government pushed this project and left out certain numbers, and perhaps the $1B cost was for only rolling stock and basic rail construction (not including utility relocating, ripping up roads, demolishing homes/businesses, not including purchases of homes/businesses, no environment assessments, etc).