BLAST network | |||
---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||
Locale | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | ||
Transit type | Light rail / bus rapid transit | ||
Number of lines | 5 | ||
Website | Hamilton Rapid Transit | ||
Operation | |||
Operator(s) | Hamilton Street Railway | ||
Technical | |||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
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The BLAST network is a plan for a frequent rapid transit system in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The system is planned to include five routes, with two light rail transit (LRT) lines, and three bus rapid transit (BRT) lines.
In 1981, during Bill Davis's Progressive Conservative administration, the Province of Ontario offered to finance the construction of a light metro in Hamilton from Lloyd D. Jackson Square to the Lime Ridge Mall. The line would have employed the ICTS platform used in the Scarborough RT in Toronto and the Expo Line in Vancouver. The plan, however, faced significant local opposition, and Hamilton-Wentworth Council rejected the proposal. The plan called for an elevated track –one of the elements that triggered opposition, with residents suggesting commuters would be invading their privacy by looking down on their back-yards and in their second floor windows. [1]
BLAST was conceived as part of the city's 2007 transportation master plan. It was later incorporated by Metrolinx as part of its regional transportation plan, The Big Move. [2] [3] The B-Line LRT and A-Line were among the plan's prioritized transit expansion projects and were funded by the Government of Ontario in May 2015. [4]
By 2019, Hamilton and Metrolinx were preparing to build the B-Line (Hamilton LRT). [5] Land acquisition and building demolition for a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) line from McMaster University to Eastgate Square had started. [6] On December 16, 2019, the Government of Ontario announced it was cancelling its funding for the BLAST system's B-Line LRT, due to cost overruns. [7] The provincial Ministry of Infrastructure noted that provincial funds originally planned for the Hamilton LRT project would be redistributed to other transportation infrastructure projects, with consultation with a newly formed Hamilton Transportation Task Force and Hamilton's city council. [8] On April 9, 2020, the Hamilton Transportation Task Force released the report, suggested that the city need a "higher order transit project", and it could be either LRT on B-Line or BRT on both B-Line and A-Line. [9]
On February 9, 2021, the province reversed its decision and reinstated the project as the Hamilton LRT. [10]
The B-Line LRT and A-Line BRT are the top transit priorities for the City of Hamilton and were originally scheduled for completion in 2024. [11]
The 2017 Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan outlines a proposed regional transportation network for service by 2041. [12] It includes four priority bus routes and an LRT to run on the north portion of the A-Line. BRT and LRT transit lines included in Metrolinx's 2017 Regional Transportation Plan includes:
Line | Type | Corridor / main route | Termini | Opening | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LRT | Main Street, King Street and Queenston Road | McMaster University | Eastgate Square | 2024 | |
BRT | University Plaza | McMaster University | Before 2041 | ||
BRT | Highway 6 and York Boulevard | Downtown Hamilton | Waterdown | Before 2041 | |
LRT | James Street and Upper James Street | Hamilton Waterfront | Hamilton International Airport | Before 2041 | |
BRT | 2024 | ||||
BRT | Centennial Parkway, Upper Centennial Parkway, Rymal Road and Garner Road | Ancaster Business Park | Confederation GO Station | Before 2041 | |
BRT | Kenilworth Avenue, Upper Ottawa Street, and Mohawk Road | Meadowlands | The Centre on Barton | Before 2041 |
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven million across an area over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) stretching from London in the west to Peterborough in the east, and from Barrie in the north to Niagara Falls in the south. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 35,234,400. GO Transit operates diesel-powered double-decker trains and coach buses, on routes that connect with all local and some long-distance inter-city transit services in its service area.
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The Hamilton Street Railway commonly known as the HSR is a public transport agency in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The name is a legacy of the company's early period, when public transit in Hamilton was primarily served by streetcars. Although streetcars are no longer used in the city today, the HSR operates bus and paratransit services, with a ridership of 21 million passengers a year. The HSR uses the Presto card as its method of fare payment, allowing for connections with GO Transit and other transit systems in the Greater Toronto area.
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The Hamilton LRT is a planned light rail line in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to operate along Main Street, King Street, and Queenston Road. It is one of five planned rapid transit lines which form Hamilton's proposed BLAST network. The 14 km (8.7 mi), 17-stop route is planned to extend from McMaster University to Eastgate Square via downtown Hamilton.
The A-Line is a proposed rapid transit line running along James Street in downtown and Upper James Street on the escarpment in Hamilton, Ontario. It is part of Hamilton's proposed BLAST network, involving four other rapid transit corridors. It is identified by Metrolinx in its regional transportation plan The Big Move as a project to be completed by 2023. The route is currently served by Hamilton Street Railway's Route 20 A-Line Express bus.
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