Edmonton Public Transit

[TimB09]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^yup...friends relayed stories of cars and buses at the bottom of bellamy "making runs at it"...most unsuccessfully.

Good thing I didn't go into work today. I work right near there and man, that would have been backed up forever. I might STILL be waiting to just turn that corner at that intersection to get work.

[IKAN104]

Originally Posted by TimB09

I think it may be time to get rid of the trolley system. If they aren't willing to maintain them and it costs the city a fair amount in electrical bills from what I understand, scrap them and go to normal buses.

I know there has been talk about this in the past but do it already. Either maintain what you have or get rid of it all together.

They considered scrapping the system in 2005 but voted instead to study the issue more closely by trial running both a new trolley and a hybrid bus for several years so that they can compare costs of all technologies.

The issue is scheduled to be re-visited this year.

[rapid_business]

Or go the extra step and ad rails. (but that is a whole different topic)

[CanadianCentaur]

Originally Posted by IKAN104

They considered scrapping the system in 2005 but voted instead to study the issue more closely by trial running both a new trolley and a hybrid bus for several years so that they can compare costs of all technologies.

The issue is scheduled to be re-visited this year.

Last I heard, city council was supposed to vote whether to keep or scrap the trolleybus system in June.

[CanadianCentaur]

Mayor calls on suburbs to join push for LRT
Province should pony up for future lines, says Edmonton's Mandel
edmontonjournal.com
Published: 2:40 pm

EDMONTON - Edmonton's mayor is calling on his fellow mayors in the region to support a pitch to Premier Stelmach for more money to build light-rail transit.

"It's too much for any one city to bear, and I think the time has come for the province to help in any way they can," Mayor Stephen Mandel told reporters today.

He spoke after city council endorsed his plan to appeal to regional mayors and to approach the provincial government for LRT money.
Potential regional LRT connections proposed by the city of EdmontonView Larger Image View Larger Image
Potential regional LRT connections proposed by the city of Edmonton
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Along with requesting money, the mayor intends to ask the province to donate land along Anthony Henday Drive for future LRT lines and park-and-ride lots.

"If they want transit to be a good tool for dealing with CO2 gases, then they're going to have to participate," the mayor said. "We just can't afford to do it."

The city is currently completing extension of its south LRT line to 23rd Avenue, a project mainly funded with federal dollars.

Mandel and city officials are pushing hard to expand the LRT line north to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and northeast from the Clareview station to 153rd Avenue.

Council today endorsed a motion by Coun. Amarjeet Sohi, who represents the southeast Ward 6, to fast-track planning for an LRT line into Mill Woods as well.

"We can without question do three lines at once," Mandel told council.

The longterm LRT plan would send transit lines out to St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont and the international airport.

The mayor has delayed council discussion of his earlier idea to add one per cent to city taxes to help pay for future LRT lines.

City council approved the first stage of the LRT line to NAIT, an LRT tunnel from Churchill station over to the west side of 101st Street at 105th Avenue.

[Coldrsx]

[newfangled]

Originally Posted by CanadianCentaur

Council today endorsed a motion by Coun. Amarjeet Sohi, who represents the southeast Ward 6, to fast-track planning for an LRT line into Mill Woods as well.

"We can without question do three lines at once," Mandel told council.

Well that's great news, but still no mention of WLRT? Is council afraid of Crestwood and Laurier Heights? What's the deal?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by CanadianCentaur

Mayor calls on suburbs to join push for LRT
Province should pony up for future lines, says Edmonton's Mandel
edmontonjournal.com
Published: 2:40 pm

EDMONTON - Edmonton's mayor is calling on his fellow mayors in the region to support a pitch to Premier Stelmach for more money to build light-rail transit.

"It's too much for any one city to bear, and I think the time has come for the province to help in any way they can," Mayor Stephen Mandel told reporters today.

He spoke after city council endorsed his plan to appeal to regional mayors and to approach the provincial government for LRT money.
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Potential regional LRT connections proposed by the city of Edmonton
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Along with requesting money, the mayor intends to ask the province to donate land along Anthony Henday Drive for future LRT lines and park-and-ride lots.

"If they want transit to be a good tool for dealing with CO2 gases, then they're going to have to participate," the mayor said. "We just can't afford to do it."

The city is currently completing extension of its south LRT line to 23rd Avenue, a project mainly funded with federal dollars.

Mandel and city officials are pushing hard to expand the LRT line north to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and northeast from the Clareview station to 153rd Avenue.

Council today endorsed a motion by Coun. Amarjeet Sohi, who represents the southeast Ward 6, to fast-track planning for an LRT line into Mill Woods as well.

"We can without question do three lines at once," Mandel told council.

The longterm LRT plan would send transit lines out to St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont and the international airport.

The mayor has delayed council discussion of his earlier idea to add one per cent to city taxes to help pay for future LRT lines.

City council approved the first stage of the LRT line to NAIT, an LRT tunnel from Churchill station over to the west side of 101st Street at 105th Avenue.

How come no one in Edmonton seems to realize that the city has a large pot of money coming over the next ten years from the province, and that program was established to stop cities from asking for one off funding.

The 20 year capital plan has all support for municipalities coming from the current money, just on a continuous basis.

I just don't get it.

[mick]

350m/year buys you one overpass and a km of LRT line. The infrastructure money was to help with the backlog of projects and will quickly be taken up by other capital projects and the rather large backlog of mature neighbourhood upgrades, which were continually put off. It is simply insufficient to build LRT at the kind of fast track pace discussed in the article.

[CanadianCentaur]

Originally Posted by kyle_olsen

How come no one in Edmonton seems to realize that the city has a large pot of money coming over the next ten years from the province, and that program was established to stop cities from asking for one off funding.

The 20 year capital plan has all support for municipalities coming from the current money, just on a continuous basis.

I just don't get it.

Maybe they're afraid that the train of funding might dry up or disappear without warning because of unexpected changes in funding policy by the provincial/federal governmants or economic downturn?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by mick

350m/year buys you one overpass and a km of LRT line. The infrastructure money was to help with the backlog of projects and will quickly be taken up by other capital projects and the rather large backlog of mature neighbourhood upgrades, which were continually put off. It is simply insufficient to build LRT at the kind of fast track pace discussed in the article.

By 2010 it should be close to $600 million dollars a year coming from the provincial government. Its a huge pool of money.

If Edmonton can't plan with that, there isn't really any hope. Its not like there are 20 more insane interchanges coming. With that amount in 5 years the NLRT and WLRT could be built with $1 billion left over for road projects.

If Edmonton gets any extra, the good thing is Calgary gets even more, so I don't mind. It just seems Edmonton hasn't looked down the pipe to see how much money will be coming in, then select the projects for the next 5 years (or at least the funding areas) that meet up with that funding.

I would much rather the politicians say 'this is what we can do with the money we have"

Oh, the the Ed Journal article is funny about the Century Park line. It said majority funded by the federal government. Thats so factually incorrect its hilarious.

[IKAN104]

I'm with you on that Kyle. I also find it strange that there is never any mention of the provincial deal for municipalities money being used to fund this. On the other hand I am happy to hear the mayor pressing for even more money (regardless of how "ungrateful" it sounds).

[mick]

You're right, the Journal's article is factually incorrect:

Of the original 595m budget, the feds provided 108m (54 for construction, 54 for interest over 5 years), 25m from Ab gov't, 8m from city's general budget, and 508m in debt financing. I'm not sure how the 100m purchase of LRV's broke down though.

[Mikemike]

Originally Posted by mick

You're right, the Journal's article is factually incorrect:

Of the original 595m budget, the feds provided 108m (54 for construction, 54 for interest over 5 years), 25m from Ab gov't, 8m from city's general budget, and 508m in debt financing. I'm not sure how the 100m purchase of LRV's broke down though.

I understood that the majority that wasdebt financed was essentially borrowed against 10 (or so) years worth of the federal gas tax transfer.

[rapid_business]

really?

Perhaps the timing was off, but the feds are sure paying the brunt of mass transit expansion over the past year or two. Never mind the feds, provinces like ON and BC are taking the initiative here as well.

[Shodan]

February 4, 2008

Tories pushing LRT growth
Edmonton MLAs keen to link surrounding communities

By KEVIN CRUSH, SUN MEDIA

Some Tory MLAs are backing Mayor Stephen Mandel's plan to expand the LRT to surrounding communities.

Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk said he's long supported a line being brought to his northwest riding and has often criticized his own Tory government for not doing enough to help cities and projects such as the LRT.

Lukaszuk said if people want the region to compete in the global marketplace, the individual communities must be better connected.

"The best way to sew them together is to link them by public transportation," he told Sun Media yesterday.

The city's LRT plan calls for a new line to be brought to the NAIT campus, making stops along the way at MacEwan College and the Royal Alexandra hospital.

Building that stretch of line could cost $850 million.

There's talk of eventually running the LRT further northwest into St. Albert, northeast into Fort Saskatchewan and south to the international airport.

Last week, city council passed a motion that will see Mandel write Stelmach asking for help expanding the LRT line "to better serve the Edmonton region."

The letter is also being copied to Edmonton-area MLAs, mayors and reeves to shore up regional support for the project.

The goal is to create a more efficient transportation system while being more environmentally friendly.

Edmonton-Mill Creek MLA Gene Zwozdesky just finished penning a 20-year strategic growth plan for the province.

Part of the plan includes an integrated transportation network throughout Edmonton and nearby communities.

"All of this network has to start taking shape now," Zwozdesky, associate capital planning minister, told Sun Media yesterday.

While there are no dollars linked specifically to LRT projects, Zwozdesky did note the report states municipalities need an annual $6-billion investment over the next two decades for infrastructure.

Expanding the LRT can't stop in Edmonton, said Lukaszuk.

He said the city centre has to be better linked to St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove and down to the Edmonton International Airport and Leduc to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

"If we want to be a vibrant, competitive community you can't have 25 separate municipalities,'' said Lukaszuk.

"You must have a way to link them together."

Along with extending the LRT, Zwozdesky said the province needs some form of high-speed transportation corridor between Edmonton and Calgary, although he wasn't sure what shape that would take.

There has long been talk of a bullet train between the centres.

[Coldrsx]

^i like where this is all going.

[Coldrsx]

Adios to Mexico?
The Edmonton Journal
Published: 2:31 am
Re: "Widening Gateway Blvd. prompts anger," The Journal, Feb. 1.

Anger is only one of the emotions that could be used to describe the widening of Gateway Boulevard. Disbelief, astonishment and disgust also come to mind. It is unbelievable our city professionals are still employing the archaic planning techniques of the 1950s.

Widening of roads does not alleviate traffic; it increases it. By increasing the capacity of Gateway Boulevard, planners will make it more attractive to drivers who might not take the route under normal circumstances. This increase in traffic will not be supported by the extra lanes provided and, in a few years, traffic will be the same, if not worse.


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Font:****Joanne Booth, president of the Strathcona Centre Community League, says, "The traffic's already here. I want it out of my neighbourhood as quickly as possible." Allowing traffic to move fast and freely only allows more traffic to navigate through. Pedestrians who are playing, walking or shopping are at the mercy of "comfortable" vehicles.

Instead of providing easier ways for vehicles to drive past Whyte Avenue, city planners should be solving the real problem in our city: public transportation. If there were a fast, viable alternative to driving, widening Gateway Boulevard would not be an issue.

The LRT expansion plan needs to be revamped and take precedence over vehicular traffic. This change in focus could be just the thing to turn our city around. Instead of a city project that "prompts anger," perhaps the city could propose a solution that "prompts support," or "prompts excitement."

We've been "Deadmonton" for long enough. It's time to make a change.

Jennifer Annett, Edmonton




© The Edmonton Journal 2008

[feepa]

See, it is time for change. Its time to remove that god awful hairpin turn.

a-typical nimby reaction above this post ^^

[rapid_business]

/\ She does bring up good points about generated traffic and public transit (I would actually say she is 'in the right', feepa), but doesn't address the one contrasting point of the proposal that I would agree with; eliminate the hairpin turn.

It will be interesting to see what the price of the whole project (new bridge included) will cost however. Any estimates?