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Report on Proceedings and Recommendations from the Citizens’ Jury on Transit | |
Prepared for Hamilton City Council | |
by Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd. and Associates | |
Date: February 12, 2016 | |
Tim L. Dobbie Consluting Ltd. | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS | |
1. Introduction . . . | |
2. Executive Summary | |
3. Report from the Citizens’ Iury .. | |
A. — Guiding Principles .. | |
B. - Foundation for Success | |
?:\i.nEn | |
C. — Signs of Success | |
1. Preparation Phase 2016-2019 | |
2. Construction Phase 2019-2024 | |
4-. Structure and Implementation of this Proiect.......... | |
a) Terms of Reference | |
.. 10 | |
3. Future Vision 2024 - 2035 . | |
11 | |
13 | |
13 | |
b) Oversight of the process ........14 | |
Appendix I: The Citizens’ Iury ........16 | |
Recruitment, Selection. Retention 16 | |
Support and Education ........16 | |
Citizens’ lury Membership List ........17 | |
Appendix II: Summary ofMeetings . ........17 | |
Appendix Ill: Evaluation of process by Citizens’ ]ury.... | |
Appendix IV: Graphic recording of meetings | |
Appendix V: Media — Social Media | |
Appendix VI: Consulting Team | |
Appendix VII: Invitation to participate in Citizens’ lury-31 | |
.21 | |
..24- | |
....Z | |
....30 | |
1. Introduction | |
By Tony Thoma, Chair of the Steering Committee | |
The Steering Committee provided oversight in the selection process to ensure | |
that the selection was inclusive and random but also satisfied that the | |
demographic targets represented residents of Hamilton as best they could. | |
Oversight of the work plan for the Hamilton Citizens jury on Transit (the Iury] | |
was also approved by the Steering Committee. | |
In addition to the Steering Committee meetings, many of the Steering Committee | |
members attended the Iury meetings in order to monitor the direction of | |
discussions, working with staff and consultants to ensure that discussions were | |
within scope. Where the jury members asked for more clarification, the Steering | |
Committee worked with City Staff to provide additional information. In some | |
cases people with experience from other jurisdictions who have or are in the | |
middle of similar projects or renewal projects temporarily impacting local | |
neighbourhoods, were invited to speak to the jury and provide their lessons | |
learned. | |
Membership ofthe Steering Committee | |
o Tony Thoma (Chair) | |
o Judy Marsales | |
o Richard Koroscil | |
o Denise Christopherson | |
o Allan Greve | |
o Chelsea Cox | |
o jeanne Mayo | |
o Stephen Ross | |
o lan Sim | |
Observations: | |
Presentations from City Staff and invited guests from other jurisdictions were | |
well received and very educational. The dialogue during these sessions was very | |
open and courteous with a high level of participation by all. | |
Many of the jury members expressed their interest in continuing to offer their | |
personal time in subsequent stakeholder activities moving forward. The | |
investment to educate these individuals cannot be overlooked and we | |
recommend that the city take advantage of their offer. We feel that continued | |
involvement from these and other citizens drawing feedback from constituents, | |
will be a very powerful feedback mechanism. | |
3 | |
2. Executive Summary | |
From October 2015 - Ianuary 2016, a group of dedicated citizens chosen through | |
a random process from throughout the Greater City of Hamilton, volunteered | |
their time working and learning together for about 40 hours as the Citizens’ Iury | |
on Transit (the Iury). With a mandate to develop a set of recommendations to | |
City Council on rapid transit in Hamilton, they received presentations from city | |
staff, stakeholders and experts from Hamilton and other municipalities with | |
experience of Light Rail Transit (LRT). They took a bus tour of the proposed LRT | |
route, went to Kitchener-Waterloo to see their construction zone and hear from | |
regional staff, conducted their own research and deliberated on what they had | |
heard, seen and learned about the City and the challenges and implications of | |
implementing the LRT system. They had conversations with members of the | |
public who were invited to attend three of the presentations. They developed a | |
very good, shared understanding of LRT, and learned a great deal about the City | |
during the process. | |
As the Province of Ontario has announced funding through Metrolinx to design, | |
build, operate and maintain the LRT and the route is set, the Iury accepted these | |
decisions as givens. | |
The diverse background of Iury members allowed them to present different | |
perspectives and experiences during their deliberations. They reflected on and | |
shared their take on transit and other City service viewed from their respective | |
neighbourhoods. Their deliberations led to a number of observations and the | |
recommendations presented in this report. The key recommendations are as | |
follows: | |
1. Communication is Number 1 both in the lead up to construction of | |
LRT [what are we doing, why, and what are the benefits?) and during | |
construction (what is happening, when, why and for how long?). | |
2. LRT will change public transit in Hamilton and it will change Hamilton. | |
There is great potential for city-building. It needs to be well planned so | |
that people and businesses in the City get the maximum benefits. This | |
includes development, jobs and affordable housing, making the City an | |
even more attractive place to live, work, raise a family, grow old, visit and | |
invest in. | |
3. Adopt a culture of learning; collaborate closely with stakeholders; be | |
bold, innovative and creative in implementing the improvements. | |
Apply best practices. There are lots of great ideas out there and | |
experiences elsewhere we can learn from as we move forward. | |
4 | |
3. Report from the Citizens’ Jury | |
This section of the report presents the conclusions reached by the Citizens’ Jury | |
on Transit [the jury) after their months of learning and deliberation. lt begins | |
with Guiding Principles, which we believe should underpin the ways in which | |
recommendations and actions should be conducted. | |
Section B, "The Foundations for Success" includes fifteen recommendations that | |
the Iury believe must be met as the project is designed and contracts signed. lt is | |
based on what was learned from other municipalities, research and about local | |
construction projects. | |
Section C, "Signs of Success" includes three sections: preparing for construction; | |
construction; and what we hope to see after construction. The first two sections | |
describe concrete actions that would happen if the project is going well. The | |
third section is aspirational, what we dream could be the impact of successful | |
rapid transit in Hamilton. | |
A. Guiding Principles | |
These principles came from a discussion amongst the Citizens’ Iury members on | |
how decision-makers (Le. City, Metrolinx, Project Consortium] should behave in | |
their relationship with stakeholders. | |
1. Good communication is necessary to the success of this project. | |
Communicate in an open, honest and transparent way. Communication is | |
a two-way street - share and listen. | |
2. Great ideas will come from people in the community ifyou ask them. | |
Work collaboratively with community and other stakeholders to develop | |
the plans for implementing the rapid transit plan and for redevelopment; | |
treat them as partners and be open to their ideas. Use engagement | |
methods that foster dialogue and shared understanding. Anticipate what | |
might happen, be proactive, work together to take initiative and be | |
problem solvers. | |
3. Put people first, especially those directly affected by change. | |
4. Act for the benefit ofthe whole city. | |
5. Be creative and innovate; develop a learning culture around | |
implementation of rapid transit and urban redevelopment exploring what | |
other communities do, both in Canada and around the world, reimagined | |
to suit our city. | |
5 | |
6. Be fiscally responsible with this money; leverage the opportunities it | |
brings and ensure that Hamilton is kept whole when negotiating a | |
revenue sharing agreement with Metrolinx. | |
7. Build the trust of Hamilton residents on this and other projects by saying | |
what you will do and doing what you said, doing it well, being open and | |
consistent and telling the story. | |
B. The Foundations for Success | |
This section covers the current period as agreements are negotiated and | |
decisions are reached on the project details including an on-going effort to | |
inform the citizens and consider all factors that need to be addressed in future | |
phases of the project. | |
1. Articulate a vision that fully expresses the city-building effects of the | |
implementation of our rapid transit network, describing how it will | |
benefit the whole city. City Council and staff are encouraged to embrace | |
this vision and develop a communications plan to generate awareness | |
among residents. Use visuals to communicate signs at future stops and | |
start now. | |
2. Begin now to prepare people for changes to future road use, particularly | |
King St through the core. Design incentives and disincentives that will | |
help to change people's driving patterns and implement these before | |
construction begins. This might include, for example, creating a | |
pedestrian mall (with transit only] on King between Wellington and | |
Walnut before 2018. | |
3. Ensure the HSR is kept "whole" in the revenue sharing agreement that the | |
City signs with Metrolinx. By this we mean the HSR cannot lose the | |
revenue from its most profitable route (the B line), as it currently | |
subsidizes the rest ofthe transit system. | |
4-. Although Metrolinx will own and operate the LRT, we expect the | |
customer experience of moving from bus to LRT to regional transit (GO) | |
to be integrated, seamless, convenient and affordable. | |
5. Metrolinx and the City of Hamilton should collaborate in a highly | |
coordinated and cooperative way. Speak with one voice on project | |
implementation and feel accountable to the people of Hamilton for what | |
they do. | |
6 | |
6. Learn from the experience of other cities in project design to mitigate the | |
impact of disruption due to construction and leverage the opportunities | |
this investment brings. The contract with the building consortium should | |
include provisions such as staging construction, fees for lane and | |
sidewalk use, penalties for unreasonable delays, commitments to robust | |
community consultation and timely communications, cooperation and | |
coordination with local residents and businesses, a Community Benefits | |
Agreementl, and a preference for local sourcing by contractors, where | |
possible. | |
7. Create and support a culture of learning and innovation to inform this | |
project so that solutions are innovative. This means ensuring there is | |
time and space dedicated to learning and imagining what is possible or | |
what is done elsewhere. Engage stakeholders in such discussions. | |
Develop a community engagement strategy and ensure there is sufficient | |
staff to implement it during construction of LRT. | |
8. Neighbourhoods along the LRT route have the potential to transform | |
with the implementation of rapid transit. This presents both | |
opportunities and challenges. Ensure that land use planning addresses | |
both. It is anticipated that gentrification along the LRT route will result in | |
densification with multi-story dwellings, and it will likely drive up the | |
value of housing. Planning should include provisions to ensure housing is | |
available for people with a range of incomes. Develop design guidelines to | |
keep the local look and feel ofHamilton's heritage and neighbourhoods; | |
require that more green space be installed along the route in the course | |
of redevelopment, this could include, for example, rooftop gardens on | |
multi-story buildings. Engage developers in finding innovative solutions | |
and doing their fair share of creating the supply of affordable housing. | |
9. The City should create a strategy to leverage its authority in shaping | |
development on City-owned land, to ensure that some development is | |
earmarked for affordable housingz. Investigate ways of leveraging some | |
of the value of this land to improve current public housing, and/or build | |
1 This concept was initiated during the design of the Metrolinx Eglinton-Crosstown Project by | |
United Way and the Atkinson Foundation and is being implemented for that project. In essence | |
it means creating a program that helps the un- and under-employed get on a pathway to | |
employment as jobs related to the infrastructure spending open up. The province adopted this | |
idea ofleveraging community benefits in legislation in lune 2015. See | |
http://atkinsonfoundation.ca/impelct/news-ammve/expect- | |
'nve§tment§-5'9 ette-mjrphyg-mg-ideal | |
2 The reference to "affordable" is as defined in Hamilton's Housing and Homelessness Action Plan | |
7 | |
new social housing. Learn from other communities and trends in urban | |
living. | |
10. Make each LRT station unique. Collaborate with local communities and | |
artists when designing LRT stations ensuring they meet local needs and | |
reflect the neighbourhood’s character and heritage. Plan for multi-modal | |
transit options at stations so people can complete their journeys with | |
ease. This could include buses, SoBi bike depots, taxi or riding sharing | |
options, DARTS. | |
11. It is important to people that it become easier to move up and down the | |
Mountain in a direct route along the proposed A line. Investigate the | |
feasibility of connecting the upper and lower city with gondolas or an | |
incline railway [funicular]. | |
12. There is a whole city perspective to city building by improving transit | |
across Greater Hamilton that warrants consideration of a change to the | |
area rating of transit. We recommend that an urban-rural area rating | |
model be an objective as transit in the former suburbs is improved and | |
the whole public transit system becomes coordinated and efficient. New | |
development that comes with building rapid transit will provide new tax | |
assessment, which will benefit the whole city. | |
13. Make a commitment to the residents of Hamilton to live by the Guiding | |
Principles and operationalize the Foundation for Success that the | |
Citizens’ jury has developed through this process of education, discussion | |
and deliberation. | |
14. The LRT Office should develop a report card and report annually to the | |
community on the effectiveness of its communications and engagement | |
activities as they build the LRT line. | |
The jury met for about 40 hours to develop these recommendations. It is | |
important to the jury to know what happens with them so they can feel that | |
their time and effort was worthwhile and future juries will know this too. The | |
Iury would like the LRT Office to report back to the community in eighteen | |
months on what they have done with the recommendations in this report. | |
8 | |
C. Signs of Success | |
1. QQ | |
This section covers the period from now through 2019 as preparation proceeds | |
and more details become available. Communication and engagement with all | |
stakeholders are critical. Excitement for the project should be encouraged in the | |
community. | |
a) | |
b) | |
C] | |
d] | |
e) | |
A vision is developed and communicated of end-user focused | |
multi-modal transit system that includes HSR, walking, bikes, car | |
share, GO, LRT, shared rides, DARTS. The City and Metrolinx are | |
focused on creating an integrated transit experience that is | |
convenient, affordable, and reliable. | |
A Communication Plan is being implemented. This could include | |
developing models or mock-ups of LRT at City Hall and through a | |
road show (e.g. malls, municipal service centers, presence at | |
Festivals) Most residents are getting behind the project. An app | |
could be developed and ready for the construction phase. | |
Community engagement will be underway with a wide range of | |
stakeholders and different methods of engaging. Conversations | |
are being held, information and ideas gathered and solutions | |
formed. The Project develops a Community Engagement Plan for | |
the construction phase. | |
A Community Benefits Network is in place to coordinate | |
implementation ofthe agreement on how to move people who are | |
unemployed or under-employed to good jobs. Providing people | |
easy access to educational and skill development facilities is a key | |
role of transit. | |
Station enhancements and land use around stations are | |
envisioned and planned that will: | |
0 generate more revenue to support transit such as discretionary | |
purchase concessions on site and | |
0 include retail and services in proximity to the stations that | |
support the needs of transit users and become multi-service | |
hubs. Community engagement will be underway with respect | |
to the design and uses ofthe stations and adjacent land use. | |
9 | |
There is a conscious effort to be creative, research new | |
ideas and examine how they might work in Hamilton. | |
Drivers are prepared for the construction that will | |
happen and will become less reliant on King St. as a main | |
thoroughfare. Traffic diversion plans are communicated | |
broadly and effectively | |
Q gstrgctign Ehgse 2919 - Z024 | |
This section focuses on items that must be addressed and considered during | |
construction phase of the project. Outstanding communications should keep | |
everyone informed and affected businesses should be actively involved and | |
supported by the City, Metrolinx and the contractors. | |
People will know where to find information on road closures, | |
detours, and bus detours information that is timely, easy to | |
access and current in real time. There will be both digital | |
information and on-site access to information such as staffed | |
storefronts that relocate as the construction moves across the | |
city. | |
One-on-one meetings will happen regularly and as needed. | |
The relationship between contractors, City and Metrolinx staff | |
and residents is open and positive. Residents feel they are a | |
pleasure to deal with and are proactive problem-solvers. | |
Milestones will be celebrated when they are met so people feel | |
there is progress. | |
Businesses along the construction route will have supports in | |
place that help them weather the period of disruption to their | |
businesses. BIAs will be effective advocates for their members | |
and have established close working connections with the | |
Project Leads (both City/Metrolinx office and Construction | |
Contractors). Examples of support might include: | |
- support for establishing on-line presence | |
- incentives to bring customers to the construction zone such as | |
Kitchener's "tweet your receipt" promotion | |
- alleyways could be used to provide access for people and goods | |
to stores whose road is under construction | |
10 | |
f] There will be regular announcements of new businesses | |
coming to Hamilton and new development along the LRT | |
routes. | |
g] New affordable housing is becoming available. | |
3. [he Eutyre Visigg Z024 - 2Q35 | |
This section of the report identifies some of the benefits that are expected to be | |
realized as the LRT and enhanced transit systems are implemented and improve | |
the links and access to GO Transit. While it is difficult to project with accuracy | |
how quickly changes will come, the Iury is confident that significant changes will | |
occur which will make Hamilton an even better City in which to live and work. | |
a) We will experience a new Hamilton, particularly the lower city. | |
There will be more density, more small, medium and large | |
businesses locating here because of the ease of moving to and from | |
and within Hamilton. More people will be walking, biking and | |
using transit and there will be fewer cars on the road. There will | |
be retail and services in proximity to stations. | |
b) The LRT line will be completed to Eastgate Square, the extension | |
to University Plaza in Dundas will be completed in 2025 as federal | |
funding will have been secured to complete the route, as well as | |
the A line along James St. S. | |
c) Installation of gondolas (or funiculars) will be underway to | |
connect the A line between the upper and lower City at James St. | |
d] Construction will begin in 2025 to complete the A line to the | |
Airport Employment Growth District followed by construction in | |
Z033 on the T line. | |
e) Large employers will promote transit passes to staff. | |
f) More people will use public transit. Public transit will be the first | |
choice for many more residents and for families going to events. | |
g] The implementation of fare zones (time or distance) and free | |
transit for trips less than 1.5 km is proving to be a boon to | |
ridership. | |
11 | |
The City is flush with new tax revenue from densification and new | |
commercial investment. | |
With the growth of small and medium size businesses in Hamilton | |
that came with the commitment to improved rapid transit, the | |
commercial tax base is expected to have doubled the 2016 ratio of | |
commercial/residential by 2040. | |
Poverty levels are down as the award winning Community | |
Benefits Program helped lift many families out of poverty by | |
helping people become qualified for and find good jobs. | |
The new stock of public housing has reduced the wait list to a | |
reasonable number. | |
Hamilton residents will conclude that the benefits outweighed the | |
pain of construction and look forward to completion of the BLAST | |
network. | |
12 | |
4-. Structure and Implementation of this Project | |
The direction to establish a Citizens’ Iury on Transit was passed by Council in | |
March 2015 and the contract awarded to Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd. and | |
Associates in Iuly 2015. The balance of the report outlines process, structure and | |
implementation followed by further details in the attached Appendices. | |
a) Terms of Reference | |
Purpose | |
To provide advice to Council on moving towards our 25 year transit plan as the | |
City embarks on the first leg of this plan by building LRT along the B line, the A | |
line spur and implementation ofa Ten Year Transit plan. | |
To identify the issues that people think are important: uncover what they are | |
thinking; identify misconceptions and areas of confusion and their expectations | |
ofwhat's coming; the role citizens will play; and communicate those to Council. | |
Consulting Team Deliverables | |
0 A better-informed public. More education and knowledge of transit, its | |
benefits and how it is delivered across the City of Hamilton | |
I An informed discussion on higher order transit, preferences, benefits of | |
various modal options and recommendations to Council for consideration | |
0 A transparent and inclusive process will help build consensus across the | |
community and with opinion leaders; they will better understand the | |
final decision, even if it is not their preference. | |
Focused Questions | |
These questions and the givens were developed in consultation with city staff by | |
the consulting team to guide the work and frame it for the Citizens’ Iury. | |
1. LRT along the B line is one piece ofthe ten year transit plan for all modes | |
of transit, a regional transit plan (i.e. G0] and a rapid transit plan for the | |
whole city (BLAST) which has a 25 year implementation horizon. What | |
roles would you like to see citizens play in providing input into decision- | |
making as higher order transit is implemented in Hamilton? | |
13 | |
2. Metrolinx will build, own, operate and maintain the LRT. Currently, the | |
"B" line is an important revenue generator for the HSR. What principles | |
should guide City Council as they develop a revenue sharing agreement | |
with Metrolinx? | |
3. During the construction period, building the LRT will cause major | |
disruption to local communities and traffic in general. What advice would | |
you like to provide the City on minimizing the negative impacts? | |
4. How can the City ensure the community stays informed as the transit | |
plan is implemented? What role can citizens play in ensuring the benefits | |
of LRT are realized? | |
5. Fifteen years post amalgamation, how should transit be funded in | |
Hamilton? | |
a) Continue area rating whereby households in each former | |
municipality pays a different tax rate for transit | |
b) All urban neighbourhoods would fund transit at the same tax rate. | |
c] The whole city [urban/ rural) funds transit at the same tax rate? | |
Givens | |
The following were not up for discussion or review: | |
0 The lury will not advise on technical considerations such as the route; | |
I The province of Ontario, through Metrolinx, will fund construction of the | |
LRT along the B line with a spur to the lames St. N. GO station and | |
possibly the West Harbour at $1.2 billion. Metrolinx will build, own, | |
operate and maintain the LRT; | |
1 City Council is not bound by the recommendations the Citizens Iury | |
develops; | |
0 This process will not duplicate consultation on-going with the review of | |
the Transportation Master Plan, HSR branding, City Visioning. | |
b) Oversight of the Process | |
As directed in the Terms of Reference, a Steering Committee was struck to | |
provide arm's length oversight of the jury selection, process design and | |
implementation, including the identification and selection of "experts" who | |
will present to the Citizens’ ]ury. The Steering Committee, met five times | |
between August and Ianuary and: | |
14 | |
0 Advised on stakeholders to be consulted by the Project Management | |
Team | |
I Confirmed to their satisfaction the random nature of the Jury selection | |
process | |
Approved the work plan for the Citizens’ Jury | |
Monitored progress | |
Approved the Strategic Communications Plan | |
Members of the Steering Committee were welcome to observe any of the | |
Citizens’ Jury sessions | |
0 Serve as ambassadors for this project to the community | |
0 Advised on the format ofthe Report | |
O | |
The Steering Committee was composed of: | |
Denise Christopherson | |
Chelsea Cox (SoBi Bikes) | |
Allan Greve | |
Richard Koroscil, | |
Judy Marsales | |
Jeanne Mayo (SAC) | |
Margaret Robertson [resigned for personal reasons] | |
Stephen Ross | |
Ian Sim | |
Tony Thoma (Chair) | |
Staff: | |
0 Bob Carrington, Tim Dobbie, Denise O'Connor (consultants) | |
0 Kwab Ako-Adjei, Mike Kirkopoulos (City Manager's Office] | |
Members of the group offered valuable advice on process and content of the | |
Citizens’ Jury activities. Most of the Committee members monitored some of the | |
Citizens’ Jury meetings with Chair Tony Thoma and Richard Koroscil attending | |
most of them and others having attended some. | |
15 | |
Appendix I: The Citizens’ Jury | |
Recruitment, Selection, Retention | |
A total of 2,4-00 names were randomly generated by the City's computers from | |
the tax roll and renters’ list. The selected individuals received an invitation by | |
letter from the City of Hamilton inviting them to participate. The criteria for | |
selecting from those who indicated their interest was that the group reflected | |
the diversity of our population in terms of gender, age, education, income, and | |
whether they are born in Canada or elsewhere. The consulting team held a short | |
telephone interview with those shortlisted to ensure they understood what was | |
being asked and seemed able and prepared to fulfill the duties. A final list oflury | |
members included one resident from each of the 15 wards across greater | |
Hamilton plus one each from the upper city, lower city, former suburb and rural | |
community for a total of 19 Iury members. This list was approved by City Council | |
in September, 2015. | |
We lost some members and replacements were made from those who were | |
randomly selected and had responded to the invitation. Five of the new recruits | |
worked diligently to catch up and were excellent contributors. One experienced | |
scheduling conflicts and did not attend any meetings. The sixteen who | |
participated fully were a diverse group that came from all parts of the Greater | |
Hamilton Area. | |
Support and Education | |
The meetings were designed to educate the Iury members on public transit in | |
general in Hamilton, the rationale behind implementation of a rapid transit | |
system, and learn from other cities’ experience in implementing and running | |
rapid transit. Three meetings were open to the public who were invited to hear | |
presentations and engage in conversation with the Iury members and each other | |
to process and discuss what they heard. | |
Jury members also joined a private Facebook page where materials were posted. | |
They were invited to post articles they found as well that they thought would be | |
of value to their colleagues. | |
16 | |
Citizens’ lury membership list — with replacements as required (*) | |
Ward 1* | |
Ward 2 | |
Ward 3* | |
Ward 4- | |
Ward 5 | |
Ward 6 | |
Ward 7 | |
Ward 8 | |
Ward 9 | |
Ward 10 | |
Ward 1 1* | |
Ward 12* | |
Ward 13 | |
Ward 14* | |
Ward 15 | |
Iodi Miller | |
Margaret Berlowska | |
Dayna Samuels | |
Bob Rogers | |
Suzette Richards | |
Rick Allan | |
Shannon Van Dooren | |
Everjoy Ganda | |
Maurice Kabisoco | |
Tim Cookney | |
Anna Carte | |
Shelley Eves | |
Patrick Speissegger | |
Trevor Curry | |
Claudette Oleskiw | |
Upper City Parvez Vora | |
Lower City Andy Caiter | |
Rural Ruth Cameron | |
Suburban* Liz Barrett | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Stoney Creek | |
Stoney Creek | |
Mount Hope | |
Ancaster | |
Dundas | |
Waterdown | |
Carlisle | |
Hamilton | |
Hamilton | |
Greensville | |
Dundas | |
Appendix ll: Summary of Meeting; | |
The meetings were designed to build the Jury members’ knowledge of transit | |
and LRT implementation challenges and opportunities, the broader context of | |
city-building and at the same time building mutual understanding amongst them | |
and with community stakeholders. The program included a combination of | |
meetings only with ]ury members as well as three meetings that were open to | |
the public. The public meetings were designed so that both Iury and community | |
members could learn together from presenters, engage in dialogue to process | |
what they heard and develop ideas of how what they learned would apply to the | |
Hamilton situation. Ten meetings were held in total. There were about 40 hours | |
of meetings as part of this education program and Citizens’ Iury members also | |
participated in the private Facebook where articles and other links were posted | |
both by the consultants and members. | |
17 | |
The public was invited to learn alongside the Citizen's jury by attending | |
meetings or joining the on-line discussion at PlaceSpeak.com where | |
presentations and videos were posted. | |
1 lgtroductorjLMeeting. October 17.2015 | |
This was a "get to know each other" meeting where they expressed their | |
purpose, hopes and fears pertaining to this project. Fifteen jurors | |
attended the meeting at City Hall. | |
Orientation to Transit. November 7.2015 | |
The jury heard presentations from Dave Dixon, HSR, Steve Molloy, Transit | |
and Andrew Hope of Metrolinx. They went through a process of | |
identifying what else they wanted to learn and who they wanted to hear | |
from, which helped identify and refine the topics of subsequent meetings. | |
Fourteen jurors attended the meeting at City Hall. | |
Bus Trip along LRT Route and to Kitchen-Waterloo to view their | |
construction November 21 2015 | |
jury members along with the Executive-Director of the Downtown BIA | |
and several members of the Steering Committee were taken along the | |
LRT route. The currently identified stops as well as the pinch points were | |
pointed out. | |
In Kitchener-Waterloo two staff members from Waterloo Region led a | |
very informative tour of their LRT route, which is currently under | |
construction. Fourteen jurors attended. | |
Public Meeting 1: How LRT_Transforms Cities. November 21. 2015 | |
Doug Morgan, Director of Transit for the City of Calgary addressed a | |
crowd of about 80 people for a 90-minute talk and Q & A on LRT in | |
Calgary. The meeting was also live streamed and was covered by the | |
Hamilton Spectator. lt was also live tweeted. After the public | |
presentation, the speaker and the jury debriefed for about 30 minutes. | |
This meeting took place at Mohawk College. Fourteen jurors attended. | |
Public Meeting 2: Challenges and_Qpportunities of the Construction | |
Ebase December 2, 2015 | |
Kimberly Moser, Manager of Community Relations, Region of Waterloo, | |
Doug Sutherland, Executive Director, Stoney Creek BIA and Marty | |
Schreiter, Concession St. BIA, spoke to a group of about 60 about how | |
construction can impact local businesses and communities and the roles | |
that both local government and BlAs can play in helping mitigate the | |
negative impacts. After the presentations, the audience worked in small | |
18 | |
groups to discuss "how what they heard applies to Hamilton" and | |
“recommendations they would make to City Council" based on what they | |
heard. The presentations and “report backs" from small groups were | |
videotaped and posted on PlaceSpeak for public access. The meeting was | |
2.5 hours and was held at Pat Quinn Arena in the Community Room. | |
Sixteen jurors attended. | |
Revenue Streams. Funding Transit: A discussion on | |
Guiding_Principles. Revenue Sharing agreements and Integrated Fares. | |
Saturday Deggmber 5 2015 | |
Bob Carrington gave a presentation on area rating, and transit tax | |
financing developed by city staff. It addressed the potential challenges | |
associated with Metrolinx owning/operating the LRT along what is | |
currently the bus route that generates surplus revenues and subsidizes | |
less subscribed bus routes. There was a discussion on the implications of | |
continuing with the current model of area rating, governance | |
arrangements for HSR/Metrolinx and fare structures. Fifteen jurors | |
attended. This meeting took place at the Harry Howell Arena in | |
Waterdown. | |
Public Meeting 3: Doing LRT together: redevelgrmient and community | |
benefits. Saturday. December 12. 2015 | |
Pedro Barata, VP Communications and Public Affairs, United Way | |
Toronto and York Region, Colette Murphy, Executive, Atkinson | |
Foundation and Paul Iohnson, the newly named Director of LRT Project | |
Coordination spoke about the benefits of the LRT investment in terms of | |
redevelopment opportunities, including increasing the stock of affordable | |
housing, and leveraging the investment to improve access to jobs for | |
people experiencing barriers to employment. About 50 people, including | |
fifteen Citizens’ jurors, attended. Cable 14 recorded the presentations and | |
their coverage will be broadcast on a future episode of “Hamilton Life" | |
with Linda Rourke. The meeting took place at the Spectator Auditorium. | |
Final stage: Pulling_it Together Meeting 1. Wednesday,_]anuary 6. 2016 | |
Heather Donison from the City Manager's Office presented preliminary | |
recommendations from the City's Vision work to help the Citizens’ jury | |
align their thinking with the City's future direction. Afterwards, Citizens’ | |
Iury members began to organize and analyze what they have learned | |
developing a set of principles and a vision of Hamilton in 2025-2040 | |
experiencing rapid transit. Eleven of the Citizens’ jury attended. This | |
meeting took place at Sackville Hill Seniors Centre. | |
19 | |
9. Guiding Principles. Recommended Actions. Meeting 2.Satul;day lanuaggg | |
Members of the Citizens’ Iury spent four hours reviewing their work from | |
the previous meeting, what they have learned through the process, | |
capturing the big ideas and working out their recommendations. The | |
consultants were to take their material to wordsmith, format, and send | |
out a draft prior to the last meeting. Fourteen of the Citizens’ Iury | |
attended. This meeting took place at Sackville Hill Seniors Centre. | |
10. Refining and Approvmg Recommendations. Wednesday._lanua_ry 13. | |
Z0_16 | |
Members of the Citizens’ ]ury spent three hours reviewing and revising | |
the draft recommendations. Most of those who were not able to attend, | |
sent comments prior to the meeting. All present agreed that the | |
consultants would flesh out the recommendations on the basis of the | |
discussion held and send it back to them for final approval. This meeting | |
took place at Sackville Hill Seniors Centre. | |
N.B. Some of the meeting dates were changed from what was stated in the | |
invitation to participate. However, when potential members were interviewed | |
during the selection process, the consultants did caution participants that this | |
was likely to happen. None of those invited to form the Citizens’ ]ury identified | |
that as a problem. | |
20 | |
Agpendix Ill: Evaluation of Process by Citizens’ Jury | |
This survey was given to Citizens’ ]ury members by email just prior to the final | |
meeting. Nine were completed. Average scores are bolded, comments are in | |
italics. | |
1. Using a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 is “not satisfied at all", 2 is “somewhat | |
dissatisfied", 3 is "neutral", 4 is "quite satisfied" and 5 is "very satisfied", how | |
satisfied were you with these aspects of the experience? Please circle the | |
number. | |
High -) Low | |
5 | |
:-'=<'op.{\_u"S>-\ | |
ululul | |
-F>-P-P- | |
www | |
NNN | |
l—\|—\>—* | |
. The education you received on rapid transit. | |
The way the meetings were conducted. | |
The ability of the facilitators | |
The openness of the discussion | |
. The access to information you needed. 4-.5 | |
Convenience and comfort of meeting locations. 4.5 | |
What could we improve if we were to do this again? | |
Size of meeting rooms - 2 comments | |
Preference that meetings held at one place most of the time and if possible — 4 | |
— 1 | |
Other "with regards to content, not much needs to be changed... very informative, | |
information sharing was well executed and the illustrations done by Pam at each | |
meeting gave me a better sense of understanding of what it was we were there | |
for”; | |
"Advertise public meetings and offer incentives to motivate the public to attend”. | |
”Add some percentage of young people from the colIege/ university. It is their city | |
and their future". | |
Any other comments? | |
"Very good experience and very educational as well”; "Great job, Pam and Denise"; | |
"Very well done, an experience that I will remember for a long time. Count me in | |
for further involvemen t”; "I have learned to work with random people in a very | |
professional manner" "It would have been nice to maybe include some young | |
participants. They may possibly see different aspects in the process. The facilitators | |
kept the meetings focused and moving forward. The jury was treated very nicely | |
and with respect. All in all a good experience" | |
2. The idea behind a process like this Citizens‘ Iury is to invite randomly | |
selected city residents who represent the diversity of the population to work | |
21 | |
through a complicated issue and provide advice to city council. As a way of | |
doing public consultation with citizens, how would you rate this | |
method? Please circle your response. | |
Excellent 7 Good 2 Adequate Poor | |
3. Please describe your impressions and experience of being a part of this | |
Citizens’ Jury. What would you like City Councillors to know about your | |
experience? | |
"I like giving my input and hearing others on such an importantproject. I think it | |
would be good to have citizen juries in the fixture for other projects or issues in the | |
city. It would be difficult for Council to have the knowledge and information on this | |
project that we were provided as they have many other issues to deal with" | |
"I was very happy to represent Ward 10 and am thankful that I had the | |
opportunity to meet with others in this large and very diverse city to discuss such | |
an important project that we will all experience. I only hope that the | |
recommendations that we present to City Council will help shape the decisions that | |
will be made before, during and after the planning, construction and completion | |
phases or the LRT‘; | |
"I would like the City Counselors to put real weight on the recommendations. I | |
want them to realize that our opinions were well informed. l enjoyed being part of | |
the Citizens ]ury. I liked being informed about the city I live in and about having | |
my opinions heard. " | |
"A highly enjoyable experience. I thought the use of difierent speakers, different | |
locations and difierent tasks for each meeting was very efiective. Denise and Pam | |
were extremely encouraging and promoted conversation by asking relevant | |
questions and providing topics of discussion to the jury. ” | |
"The]ury worked hard to come up with these recommendations, please implement | |
them. Address issues that are brought to your attention by the public not to focus | |
only on issues you are comfortable dealing with. Have the difficult conversations. | |
Advocate for vulnerable populations who have no voice re gentrification”. | |
"That a great cross section of Hamilton citizens can meet together and work | |
together quite well to achieve the goals we set out to complete". | |
Any other comments? | |
"Thanks for g1'ving me the opportunity to represent my ward on this project." "1 | |
hope that there will be continued involvement from the community members such | |
22 | |
as the Citizens’ jury throughout the entire project. Something along the lines of | |
"Ambassadors for the Hamilton LRT” | |
"After being part of the Citizens’ ]ury, I look forward to the day thatl can hop on | |
the LRT and attend a TiCat Game at Tim Horton's Field, where Hamilton will | |
defeat Toronto for the Eastern Final in 2024. Thank you". | |
"The jury was well run, Good job! " | |
”I can't stress enough the importance of communication. One issue is that the | |
communicator often thinks they have got the message out, but they never actually | |
confirm that it was received (granted those that receive don't respond!). l’m not | |
sure of the solution to this, but even just this morning CBC was reporting how a | |
community was upset with Metrolinx about how the community was not | |
approached about a pedestrian overpass. ” | |
"Denise and Pam, well done. You demonstrated passion and enthusiasm. I liked | |
your facilitation style. I highly respect and regard your professionalism. You | |
treated us with respect and acknowledge and valued the strengths of all jury | |
members. You sought our input, advice and you considered views that were | |
different from your own. It was a pleasure being part of the Citizens’ jury. " | |
"Many thanks Denise and Pam for all your efiort to organize these meetings and | |
make them as effective and efilcient as possible. " | |
"Great work by Pam and Denise." | |
23 | |
A£pEf'|dIX IV Graphlc Recordmg of Meetmgg | |
CONSTRUCTION | |
TY BENEFITS | |
page 25 | |
page 26 | |
page 27 | |
page 28 | |
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Appendix V: Media | |
Traditional Media Uptake | |
There was very little conventional media coverage of the public meetings of the | |
Citizens’ Iury. Media releases were sent out prior to each public meeting. The | |
Spectator alerted the public to the meetings in its page 3 Signpost column. | |
Other media activity included: | |
0 Mike Kirkopoulos discussed the initiative on the Bill Kelly Show; | |
I Spectator coverage of November 21$‘ meeting at Mohawk College with | |
Calgary's Director of Transportation; | |
0 Cable 14- taped the presentations from the December 13 meeting. The | |
segment was broadcast originally on January 7, 2016 and subsequently | |
repeated. | |
Social Media | |
The Twitter account @l-lamCitz]ury had garnered 281 followers by January 11. | |
The interaction was very positive with city activists re-tweeting numerous | |
tweets from this account out to their networks. From mid-November to mid- | |
Ianuary there were 4,000 profile visits, 150 mentions, and about 200 tweets sent | |
out. | |
PlaceSpeak is an online location-based consultation utility that was used instead | |
of a website to host a virtual engagement process from November through | |
January. User locations are verified and mapped and results can be aggregated | |
both by neighbourhood and in total. There were 730 views of this site, 34 | |
comments and 49 connects and 66 people in Greater Hamilton connected to this | |
website. There was some participation from across the city except Wards 14 and | |
15 with most of the activity coming from Wards 1 and 2. If Hamilton were to use | |
PlaceSpeak again, those 66 registered on PlaceSpeak would be notified that | |
there is a new topic active. | |
Promotion of this opportunity for an on-line discussion was mostly limited to | |
Twitter. There was no update of this opportunity by conventional media, which | |
was described in the media releases that announced each public meeting. | |
29 | |
Appendix VI: Consulting Team | |
This project was awarded to Tim L. Dobbie Consulting Ltd. The learning program | |
for the jury was designed by the consulting team and city staff with advice from | |
the Steering Committee. Sessions were co-facilitated by Denise O'Connor and | |
Pamela Hubbard. Pam graphically recorded many of the meetings. Tim Dobbie | |
and Bob Carrington provided municipal knowledge and background to the jury | |
at the meetings. The consultants worked very closely with Kwab Ako-Adjei and, | |
initially Mike Kirkopoulos, to develop and implement the project. | |
Acuity Options lnc. developed a Communications Plan for the project that was | |
carried out by the consulting team. The social media activities were done by | |
Ryan Trepanier, supplemented and supervised by Denise O'Connor. Denise | |
O'Connor crafted all media releases with input and approval from the City. The | |
City issued media releases and was responsible for advertising public meetings. | |
The City Manager's Office provided a great deal of assistance to this project and, | |
towards the end, the LRT Office provided communications support. | |
This report has been produced by many people and we would like to thank the | |
following: | |
_I‘_Q1_¢_tP ‘e Easmtamrs /Jzctas ‘UL/ie_iad' | |
Qiliuziflamilton g ' | |
Adm_inis_tratism | |
Chris Murray Tim Dobbie Denise O Connor Ginny jones | |
Kwab Ako-Adjei Bob Carrington Pam Hubbard Ryan Trepanier | |
Andrea Chambers Tracey McQueen | |
Darlene Barber | |
Roland Salmon | |
Mike Kirkopoulos | |
30 | |
Appendix VII: Invitation to participate in Citizens’ Jury | |
Invitation to Participate in Hamilton's Citizens’ Jury on Transit | |
Dear | |
You may have heard that Hamilton City Council has directed that a Citizens’ Jury | |
be created to provide independent recommendations to Council on a variety of | |
issues relating to transit in Hamilton such as how it's funded, how we build the | |
LRT to take advantage of the opportunities and how we keep citizens informed. | |
We are inviting you to be a part of it. | |
The questions you will be asked to consider are found on the next page. The Jury | |
will meet about 12 times and will learn about the implementation of LRT and | |
other rapid transit, to engage with the public in and to arrive at a | |
recommendation that fairly meets the needs and interests of the whole city on | |
these important matters. | |
Those recommendations will be presented to City Council later this winter. | |
While City Councillors reserve their right as elected representatives to make all | |
decisions, they are interested in knowing what a representative group of | |
residents will recommend as a way to move forward on a variety oftransit | |
related issues. | |
On the following pages, you will find more information about the Citizens’ Iury | |
and what we are asking of you, as well a short questionnaire. The questions | |
being asked are designed to ensure that the people chosen accurately mirror the | |
population of the city so that a variety ofpoints of view will be present among | |
the citizen representatives. You can complete the survey on line as a way of | |
applying to he a part of the process by going to . | |
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving serious | |
consideration to this request and we encourage you to participate. | |
lfyou submit your name and are short-listed. you will receive a_call from the | |
office of Tim Dobbie. the consulting firm managing this project. and you can have | |
a brief conversation about the project and expectations. | |
Yours truly, | |
Mayor Fred Eisenberger Tony Thoma | |
Chair, Steering Committee | |
31 | |
What is a Citizens’ lury? | |
A Citizens’ Iury is a way of holding a community consultation that gives people | |
an opportunity to exchange their points ofview and their ideas on an issue in a | |
way that's respectful and has the goal of coming to a common understanding. | |
Citizens’ Iuries vary in size and have considered a variety of topics. For example, | |
in Edmonton six years ago 50 citizens considered the municipal budget priorities | |
and made a recommendation to Edmonton City Council. Closer to home, five | |
years ago a Citizens Forum in Hamilton made a recommendation to City Council | |
on the future of area rating of property taxes. | |
ln this case, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about transit, | |
including the plans for implementation of LRT and other rapid transit in the | |
future, hear from both ordinary people and experts on the various options they | |
might consider and the implications of these so they arrive at the best | |
recommendation they can. All the information available to participants will also | |
be made available to the public so that all residents of Hamilton have an | |
opportunity to learn along with you. | |
Citizen assemblies are being done more and more in Canada and around the | |
world as a way of moving away from divisive politics. People like the fact that it's | |
people like them participating and influencing decisions that spend their tax | |
dollars and affect their lives. While citizens’ forums will never replace elected | |
officials, it is a way of expanding the political conversation to include a wide | |
range of people and points of view and engage them in a thoughtful, productive | |
way. People are asked to consider others’ points of views and explore where | |
there might be common ground. | |
This Iury will be overseen by a Steering Committee composed of leaders from | |
across this community who will ensure the process is transparent, inclusive, | |
accountable and conducted with integrity. The recommendations will be | |
presented to City Council in February or March of2016. | |
32 | |
What questions will the Citizens’ jury be considering? | |
These questions will be the focus of the work: | |
LRT along the B line is just one piece ofa 25 year transit plan (BLAST). | |
What roles would you like to see citizens play in shaping decision-making | |
as higher order transit is implemented in Hamilton? | |
Metrolinx will design, build, own, operate and maintain the LRT. | |
Currently, the "B" line is an important revenue generator for the HSR. | |
What principles should guide City Council as they develop a revenue | |
sharing agreement with Metrolinx? | |
During the construction period, building the LRT will cause major | |
disruption to local communities and traffic in general, what advice | |
would you like to provide the City on minimizing the negative impacts? | |
How can the City ensure the community stays informed as the transit | |
plan is implemented? What role can citizens play in ensuring the | |
benefits of LRT are realized? | |
Fifteen years post amalgamation, how should transit be funded in | |
Hamilton? | |
a. Continue area rating whereby households in each former | |
municipality pays a different tax rate for transit | |
b. All urban neighbourhoods would fund transit at the same tax | |
rate. | |
c. The whole city [urban/rural) funds transit at the same tax | |
rate? | |
The following are not up for discussion or review: . | |
The Jury will not advise on technical considerations such as the route | |
The province of Ontario, through Metrolinx, will fund construction of the | |
LRT along the B line with a spur to the James St. N GO station and possibly | |
the West Harbour at $1.2 billion. Metrolinx will design, build, own, | |
operate and maintain the LRT | |
City Council is not bound by the recommendations the Citizens ]ury | |
develops | |
This process will not duplicate consultation on-going with the review of | |
the Transportation Master Plan, HSR branding, City Visioning | |
33 | |
What time commitment are we asking of you? | |
We ask that you only indicate your interest in being a part of this if you | |
know you are available for most of the dates. | |
Saturday, October 17, 9:30 — 2:30 | |
Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 — 8:30 pm | |
Saturday, October 24 - Proposed Optional Bus trip to Pittsburgh to see LRT, | |
expenses paid, overnight trip. Make sure you have a passport | |
Wednesday, October 28 6:00 — 8:30 pm | |
Saturday November 7 9:30 - 12:30 | |
Saturday, November 14 9:00 — 4:00 Proposed Public Meeting | |
Wednesday, November 18 6:00 - 8:30 pm | |
Saturday, November 21 9:00 — 4:00 Proposed trip along LRT route and to see | |
Kitchener LRT installation | |
Wednesday, November 25 6:00 — 8:30 pm | |
Wednesday, December 2, 6:00 — 8:30 pm | |
Tuesday, January 5,2016 6:00 — 8:30 pm | |
Late February, early March - Present to City Council | |
_ Yes, I am currently available most of the scheduled dates. | |
lfyou know that you are n_ot available, there is no need to complete and return | |
the survey that follows, but we encourage you to follow the progress of this | |
consultation and participate in the public opportunities. | |
Compensation | |
We are asking you to volunteer this time on behalf of your fellow citizens. | |
However, we do recognize that you will likely have out of pocket expenses by | |
participating in this process. As a participant, you will receive an honorarium to | |
offset your out-of-pocket expenses. | |
What happens next? | |
We will follow up with many ofyou with a phone to chat about the project and | |
answer your questions. The call will come from Tim L. Dobbie Consultant in | |
Burlington. If you do not hear from us, please understand that we are trying to | |
find a balance that reflects the diversity of Hamilton's population along the lines | |
of the questions asked in the next section. Unfortunately, not everyone who is | |
interested will be chosen. However, you are welcome to contribute to the | |
discussion through the public meeting and on-line activities that you will hear | |
about | |
34 | |
lf you are selected to be a part of the lury, please be aware that your name | |
will be made public, but rest assured that all other information about you | |
will be held in confidence. The surveys will be shredded once the | |
selections are finalized. | |
lfyou have any questions, please email [email protected][n | |
&mfi | |
This information is only being asked to make sure that people selected for the | |
Citizens’ Jury represent the diversity of our city. It will @ be made public. You | |
may be considered for the forum whether you answer these questions or not. | |
Please mark the appropriate answer with an X. | |
Please return this page in the prepaid envelope that came with the letter | |
by - | |
1. What is your gender? _ Male _ Female | |
2. What is your age? | |
_ 18-34 _ 35-54 | |
_ 55 + _ won't say | |
3. What was your family income before taxes in 2014? | |
4. _ less than $60,000 _ $60,000 + | |
5. What is the highest level of education you have attained? | |
_ N0 certificate, diploma or degree, | |
_ High school certificate or equivalent | |
_ Post—secondary | |
5. Do you _ own or rent your home? | |
6. Where were you born? | |
_ Canada _ Other (please specify] | |
__ won't say | |
7. Do you consider yourselfa visible minority? _ Yes No | |
35 | |
Please gin]; your contact information clearly so that we can contact you | |
Name: | |
Address: | |
Phone - Work: Home: | |
Email: | |
When is a good time or day to contact you? |
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