A-Line (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.^[1] 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.^[1] The route is currently served by Hamilton Street Railway's Route 20 A-Line Express bus.^[2]

A-Line
James Street South, looking north
Overview
System	Hamilton BLAST network
Status	Proposed
Route
Route type	Rapid transit
Locale	Hamilton, Ontario
Start	Waterfront
Via	West Harbour GO, Hamilton GO, Mohawk College
End	Hamilton International Airport
Length	16 km (10 mi)
Stops	21 (tentative)
Route map Legend Waterfront Picton West Harbour GO Cannon King MacNab Transit Terminal Hamilton GO St. Joseph's (Charlton) Niagara Escarpment St. Joseph's (West 5th) Mohawk College Fennell Mohawk Aldridge/Linc Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway Stone Church Rymal Twenty Mountain Transit Centre Dickenson English Church Mount Hope Warplane Museum Hamilton International Airport This diagram: view talk edit ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

History

During planning, both bus rapid transit (BRT) and light rail transit (LRT) were considered for the corridor. On May 26, 2015, the Government of Ontario announced the B-Line LRT would be constructed between McMaster University and Queenston Circle, as well as a short LRT segment of the A-Line to provide a direct connection to West Harbour GO Station from King Street.^[3][4]

On February 2, 2017, the province removed the 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) A-Line LRT spur from the B-Line construction scope. In its stead, the province proposed advancing the planning and environmental assessment of a 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) BRT along the entire A-Line corridor, from Hamilton's waterfront to Hamilton Airport.^[5]

On March 8, 2018, Metrolinx released the 2041 Regional Transportation Plan (2041 RTP) for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), superseding the previous RTP completed ten years earlier (The Big Move). The 2041 RTP recommends removing the waterfront portion of the corridor and constructing a BRT from West Harbour GO to Rymal Road and a "Priority Bus" from Rymal Road to Hamilton Airport. ^[6]

On July 19, 2021, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments announced funding for upgrades to the A-Line corridor. The proposed works include construction of five queue jump lines and 17 km (11 mi) of sidewalks, implementation of transit signal priority measures at select intersections, and improvements to approximately 19 transit stops along the corridor.^[7] Construction of dedicated BRT lanes were not included in the funding announcement.

References

1. "Routes and Corridor Maps". City of Hamilton. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
2. "Route 20 - A LINE EXPRESS schedule and route map" (PDF). Hamilton Street Railway. December 30, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
3. "Ontario Investing Up to $1 Billion for Light Rail Transit in Hamilton". Archived from the original on 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
4. Hamilton to get a new LRT and GO Train station
5. Ontario Moving Forward with More Transit Options for Hamilton
6. 2041 Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
7. Canada and Ontario invest in improved public transit for residents of Hamilton

External links

• Hamilton Rapid Transit Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
• BCA Consultation boards