Edmonton Public Transit

[lightrail]

Originally Posted by ue

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not the biggest fan of the current low floor alignment, either. While I have no problem with low floor per se (works well in Portland, Salt Lake City, LA, and Manchester) but we've already built a high floor system. We should keep things consistent. It's not like they couldn't do high floor down Stony Plain Road or in Mill Woods or down 102nd Avenue, just make the station design less gargantuan and more pedestrian friendly.

Correction - Manchester is a high-floor system. The trams run on a combination of dedicated right-of-way and mixed-traffic street running. but this supports your arguement that high-floor could run on the street if the stations are carefully designed.

[TransitSupporter]

Originally Posted by lightrail

Correction - Manchester is a high-floor system. The trams run on a combination of dedicated right-of-way and mixed-traffic street running. but this supports your arguement that high-floor could run on the street if the stations are carefully designed.

San Diego also uses low floor trains (they call their system "The Trolley"). The older cars were U2's (same as Edmonton's and Calgary's) except with step-up from the sidewalk level 6" high "platform" (not a real platform like we're used to). I could see the infrastructure costs were trivial compared to station costs here in Calgary/Edmonton and they looked attractive enough.

[240glt]

This got lost in the fiasco that the Edgewater thread on C2E turned into... worth mentionning here..... We had a meeting with ETS a few weeks ago after lodging an inquiry into the plywood subfloor they laid down on top of the Stadium LRT deck. Apparently the deck is failing as the beams underneath have started serisously deteriorating, and from what we heard a decision must be made very soon as to what they are going to do with the station vis-a-vis the TOD

[rapid_business]

As in, retrofitting current station vs. the TOD/station relocation plan they came up with 2 yrs ago?

[240glt]

Retrofitting or building a new station was always in the works as Stadium is overdue for an overhaul, but the decision whether to keep in at it's current location vs. move it a little south has not been made. That was supposed to be done as part of the TOD plan, but the plan has not been formally approved yet and the station is in bad shape

There may actually be something in the Northlands/New arena deal that affects both Stadium and Collesium stations... I remember hearing that Tony had floated something as part of his plan but don't know what came of it.

[Mikemike]

The face that the concrete is failing after just over 30 years is a good case for doing something to reduce the need for salt. Either cover the whole station, or use a boiler and glycol ice melt. In the long run you save.

[Mikemike]

Wasn't the rexall ticket surcharge going to pay for LRT station upgrades? It's a good idea.

[Coldrsx]

A few NLRT shots from Edmcowboy11 on C2E


(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a..._100000436549239_1362725_229387218_n.jpg)

[itom 987]

Some good progress going on there.

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton Transit Ridership +5.08 LRT and +4.32 overall

http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2011-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf

[hilman]

LRT is around 95,000 trips per weekday (+5.08%), Calgary was 275,000 (-3%).

Weekday bus trips ~367,000 for a total of ~462,000 transit trips per day (231,000 return trips/day), +4.32%.

[Coldrsx]

St. Albert and Edmonton receive provincial funding for LRT study

March 16, 2012

Future transit between Edmonton and St. Albert received a boost on March 13, 2012 as Alberta Municipal Affairs approved a $250,000 grant towards an LRT alignment study. The Northwest LRT Concept Plan Study will look at developing an extension from NAIT station in Edmonton to a future transit centre near St. Albert, which is part of the Capital Region Board’s 30-year Transit Plan.
“Regional public transportation is vital to our future and collaborating with the City of Edmonton and the Province will help make it reality,” says St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse. “This funding helps us take that critical next step to build and link the St. Albert - Edmonton Transit Centre/Park and Ride with a future LRT terminal station, which will meet both the short-term and long-term transportation needs of our residents.”

Adds Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel: “The City of Edmonton has made expanding the LRT network our number one transportation priority. As Edmonton and the Capital Region continue to grow, it is vital that we work together with the Province to ensure reliable, efficient long-term transit solutions.”

The Northwest LRT Concept Plan Study is an estimated $1.1 million project that is expected to be completed by December 2012. It will identify the LRT route, station locations and track alignment within the approved corridor between NAIT station and the regional South Transit Centre/Park and Ride by St. Albert. Public consultation along the route corridor will also take place in 2012. The study and public input will inform a draft LRT Concept Plan.

St. Albert will receive information on the location, size and configuration of the land needed for the South Transit Centre/Park and Ride as it coordinates with the Edmonton northwest LRT terminal station in the Transportation Utility Corridor (TUC), located in the southeast corner of the intersection between St. Albert Trail and Anthony Henday Drive.

The $1.1 million project funding is broken down as follows:

City of St. Albert - $50,000
City of Edmonton - $800,000
Alberta Municipal Affairs Grant - $250,000

In October 2011, the City of St. Albert agreed to financially support the project up to $122,750. With the approved $250,000 grant from the Province’s Regional Collaboration Program, both cities are able to leverage those dollars; the City of St. Albert will now commit $50,000 for the study. The remaining $72,000 will stay in the City’s LRT Task Force/LRT Reserve.

The results of this study will support the cities’ joint approach to the Minister of Alberta Infrastructure to permit access to the TUC lands. This will allow St. Albert to proceed with building the South Transit Centre/Park and Ride.

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/n...ve-provincial-funding-for-LRT-study.aspx

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Toronto - proposed parking levy to fund subway
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nati...king-levy-to-fund-subway/article2376532/

Think an idea like this can work in Edmonton? Besides funding transportation infrastructure (LRT, roads, bridges, buses, etc) maybe another tax on Impark lots could help further inner core development. I own a parking stall in my downtown condo, I pay property taxes for it, and I would happily pay a little bit more if it went towards LRT expansion.

[Jasper and one o nin]

Wouldnt have the same effect here. If TO is looking at $100 million, we would get no where near that. I think a municipal gas tax of 1 or 2 cents would be more effective.

[Coldrsx]

^non-commmercial gas tax of 2cents/L please.

[Xelebes]

New buses in the bus fleet, it seems. Rode one to work. Video screens that I can't figure out how they are used (although they look like they are to point directions and show maps), and there are now reading lights. Hopefully they are less intrusive for the driver than the "cabin" lights.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

^non-commmercial gas tax of 2cents/L please.

Across the board tax of $.005 c/L

Commercial traffic is already too heavily subsidized.

[Coldrsx]

^given inflationary pressures in this Province i'd rather us not. That said, it would be easier to implement.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by 240glt

Across the board tax of $.005 c/L

Commercial traffic is already too heavily subsidized.

Would raise about $10 million a year for the city.

[Rogie]

I've been away for a few days, but I'm surprised no one has posted on the new Century Park - YEG all-day service starting at the end of April. Anyone know the frequency?