The A-Line is a proposed
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
line running along James Street in downtown and Upper James Street on the escarpment in
Hamilton,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
.
It is part of Hamilton's proposed
BLAST network
The BLAST network is a plan for a frequent rapid transit system in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It was conceived as part of the city's 2007 transportation master plan. It was later incorporated by Metrolinx as part of its regional transp ...
, involving four other rapid transit corridors. It is identified by
Metrolinx in its regional transportation plan
The Big Move
The Big Move is the regional transportation plan (RTP) published by Metrolinx for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Ontario, Canada. It makes specific recommendations for transit projects, resulting from seven "green papers" and ...
as a project to be completed by 2023.
The route is currently served by
Hamilton Street Railway's ''Route 20 A-Line Express'' bus.
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
The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governorâ ...
announced the
B-Line LRT would be constructed between
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
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.
On February 2, 2017, the province removed the A-Line LRT spur from the B-Line construction scope. In its stead, the province proposed advancing the planning and environmental assessment of a BRT along the entire A-Line corridor, from Hamilton's waterfront to
Hamilton Airport.
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.
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 of sidewalks, implementation of transit signal priority measures at select intersections, and improvements to approximately 19 transit stops along the corridor.
Canada and Ontario invest in improved public transit for residents of Hamilton
/ref> Construction of dedicated BRT lanes were not included in the funding announcement.
References
External links
Hamilton Rapid Transit
BCA Consultation boards
{{coord missing, Ontario
Transport in Hamilton, Ontario
Passenger rail transport in Hamilton, Ontario
Proposed public transport in the Greater Toronto Area
Light rail in Canada
The Big Move projects