^No, not the LRT per se, but putting rail...any kind, diagonal to the neighbourhood, did. But like I said, it isn't THAT bad compared to freeways ripping up neighbourhoods, but you feel it a tad bit.
The current NE Line doesn't even remotely service neighbourhoods until it passes the Yellowhead for Belvedere and Clareview. The purpose of Stadium and Coliseum was not to service the neighbourhoods like the new Belgravia-McKernan station does wonderfully, but to just get to the sports complexes. Sure, you can take a bus to the neighbourhoods but it's just more transfers and then you have to get into figuring out all the routes and whatnot as there are so many personal bus routes.
The WLRT low floor design made way way more sense. There was less TOD potential on the 87 Ave WLRT high floor one and potential for neighbourhood densification and revitalization. If the station distances are the same, the train should be no less faster than if the other style was chosen. The myth that low floor will be slower is just that, a myth. It has more to do with station distance. Your not going as quick Downtown on the LRT because there is a stop every 2-4 blocks as when you go from South Campus to Southgate on the LRT because the train gets more opportunity to speed up and has less stopping to do between SC and SG. Plus the low floor will be cheaper and quicker to build.
And we haven't been considering, we've decided on new lines past the NAIT LRT line to be low floor. The routing for WLRT has already been approved and just needs funding and whatnot. Mill Woods I believe is on the same page if not slightly behind.
WLRT Mill Woods probable routing
http://www.edmonton.ca/transportatio...Newsletter.pdf
Flip to last page to see the whole plan including other future lines potentially and stations. As you see, station spacings will likely not be that different from the current Clareview-Century Park High Floor line.
http://www.edmonton.ca/transportatio...nFactSheet.pdf
http://www.edmonton.ca/transportatio...esentation.pdf