Hamilton 's transit system will get an extra $25.6 million over the next three years from provincial gas tax revenues. The first-year payments, back-dated to October 1, will be $5.9 million, rising gradually to $11.7 million in 2007.

The city currently spends a little over $35 million a year on the HSR and DARTS, so the new money will mean an immediate 16% increase, rising to 33% by 2007. According to Toronto Star reports, the province has specifically ordered that all the new monies must be spent on improving transit.

"The money can be used for either capital projects such as new buses, or operating expenses such as staffing as long as it is directed at boosting the number of people using transit," says the Star, and warns that cities "cannot divert existing transit money to other projects such as road construction."

Hamilton's share of the gas tax windfall represents only 3.7% of the $680 million being transferred by Queen's Park to municipal transit systems. That's quite a bit lower than the city's 4.3% share of Ontario 's population. This is apparently because the McGuinty government is allocating 70% of the monies on the basis of existing transit passengers.

As a result, Ottawa will get three times as much money as Hamilton , even though the national capital has barely 50% more people. But Ottawa has three and a half times more buses than Hamilton and has recently added light rail to its transit system.

HRS ridership in Hamilton has fallen dramatically since 1986, as fares increased and service levels sharply declined. In 2001, only 7% of the trips were made by transit in the 6-9 am morning commute. That's barely half the 12% figure in 1986. Car drivers accounted for 64% of 2001 trips.

Transit usage also fell in other parts of the province in the same period, but not nearly as precipitously as in Hamilton. The transit share of commuters in Toronto fell from 42% in 1986 to 34% in 2001, although half of that was made up by increased walking and cycling. In fact, in the central core of Toronto, the walking and cycling component in 2001 was 30% of all 6-9 am trips - higher even than the 27% who opted to drive cars.

Transit ridership has gone up slightly in Hamilton in the last three years, but is restrained by a shortage of buses. Along the Eastgate Square to McMaster corridor, for example, the HSR is running at 150% of capacity for six hours a day and passengers frequently are unable to squeeze aboard.