Edmonton Public Transit

[mick]

does anyone know why they filled in the just dug trench on 105ave?

[Shodan]

Turnstiles on Edmonton LRT not worth the cost, report says

By Nicki Thomas, edmontonjournal.com
October 16, 2011 3:32 PM

EDMONTON Although installing turnstiles at Edmonton LRT stations would cut down on free rides, the devices still aren’t worth the expense, according to a city report.

The LRT now operates on a proof-of-payment system, in which there are no barriers and security officers randomly check passengers to ensure they’ve bought a ticket or pass.

If Edmonton Transit wanted to put in turnstiles instead, the equipment would cost $15 million and the total price of maintenance and hiring 70 attendants to staff the stations would be $5 million a year, according to the report...

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© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

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[bulliver]

Caught ETS historic bus 432 cruising through town last weekend:

[CMD UW]

First pic, vintage, well done.

[s211]

Originally Posted by bulliver

Caught ETS historic bus 432 cruising through town last weekend:

I remember those! Bus driver would sell tickets and give change...

[Shodan]

North Link Partnership gets LRT work

Dave Cooper
Edmonton Journal

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A key segment of Edmonton's northern LRT extension project has been awarded to North Link Partnership, a joint venture of Montrealbased SNC-Lavalin and Calgarybased Graham Infrastructure.

The $300-million contract announced on Tuesday by the firms was signed this spring, said city spokesman Graham McElheran. The work covers construction management services, labour and equipment as well as testing and commissioning the system for the 3.3-kilometre extension, which will run from the underground Churchill station to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, with stops at MacEwan University and the Royal Alexandra Hospital. The MacEwan station is close to the proposed downtown arena...

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© Edmonton Journal 2011

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[Jasper and one o nin]

^^ I think they should go back to the original ETS logo.

[bulliver]

Just wanted to drop a plug for "Ride of the Century: The Story of the Edmonton Transit System" by Ken Tingly. Great book. Got my copy at Tix on the Square for $40. Worth every cent for the hundreds of historic photographs and maps alone.

[basilbrush]

Thanks Bulliver. That sounds like a good read. I will for sure be stopping in to pick one up.

[Shodan]

City needs funding guarantee to keep LRT expansion on track
Applications being readied for provincial, federal programs

Nicki Thomas
Edmonton Journal

Friday, November 04, 2011

The city is preparing funding pitches for the southeast to west LRT line and needs a commitment by next year to keep the project on track, a senior city official said Thursday.

Bob Boutilier, transportation services general manager, said staff met this week to work on funding applications for the $1.5 billion LRT expansion. The city hopes to split the cost three ways with the provincial and federal government, and has already recommended applying to Alberta's GreenTRIP program - which contributed $497 million to the NAIT LRT extension - for more money...

© Edmonton Journal 2011

Copyright © 2011 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.
CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

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[MalcolmTucker]

Yeah well, with this from the city they are basically saying they don't want to move forward on the Millwoods LRT until the replacement for the Building Canada Fund is negoatiated and announced. That announcement should at the latest be in fall 2013, but more likely in May or June of that year.

As for GreenTrip, there should be around $250 million left to contribute from that pot for projects in the capital region. When the city talks about provincial contributions, are they talking about MSI and Gas Tax too? Or do they count that as the municipal contribution?

If the stumbling block is the federal contribution, they could and should push forward with a P3 partnership to finance the city and provincial portion, while the federal portion could be covered by the P3 Canada fund, which would contribute up to 25% of the project costs. This money could be committed today to the right project.

That is if they really want to have shovels in the ground before spring 2014.

[Jasper and one o nin]

The three billion dollar price tag seems a little high given the type of LRT that is being contemplated. The low-floor LRT is designed and intented to run along existing ROW's and do not require elaborate stations. For high floor LRT, the cost is in the neighbourhood of 100 million/km. On average of course - one km of line within the City Centre Airport lands will probably be in neighbourhood of 30 million. But along a 10 km line that includes tunnels, bridges, crossing etc.. it averages out to about 100 million/km. The millwoods - lewis estates is 26 km. 26 X 100 million = 2.6 Billion. However, that is for low-floor

[rapid_business]

We've chatted a bit about this before. Here are a couple quick things that help the price add up:
- Tunnelling through the quarters down to the river.
- Tunnelling right before 50th, south of argyll.
- 5 bridges. 1 bridge across the river, 1 bridge over the Whitemud, 1 bridge over Groat Ravine, 1 over the Henday. 1 just after argyll.
- elevated section from 167th - 178th with elevated station.
- maintenance and storage facility by Whitemud.
- rolling stock, as no existing train will be using it.
- purchasing property/R.O.W
- existing utility relocation.... etc.

Not counting utility relocation and property needed, I'd say those things mentioned above are close to $500 million collectively. (rough estimates I admit)

[MalcolmTucker]

There will be a need for a new maintenance yard which pushes the cost up compared to a standard 'expansion' like Edmonton has done in the past decade, along with tunnels, bridges, and does an elevated section in the west end unless my memory failes me.

If the route are anything like in Vancouver where the corridor hasn't been designated and protected for very long time, there is likely a myriad of utilities under the route as well.

Edit: your $500 m number is low - the maintenance facility alone could get close to that depending.

[Coldrsx]

Just get it going... the SE Line is very important for it will kick off the downtown collector.

WLRT - I am not holding my breath.

[mcc16]

sad that west edmonton mall has no link to downtown or airport. 8 hour stop over in minneapolis gives you time to hop on the train directly from the airport to the mall of america..do some shopping, go on a ride, and get back in time for your flight. When i used to work at a downtown hotel, it was horrible telling tourists they had to take an hour long bus ride to get to the mall, unless they were lucky enough to be travelling to the mall during the limited hours the 100 express ran...


And i know this has already been discussed many times, but 87ave was the better route...

[mintzilla]

^ i wouldn't hold your breath on the airport getting lrt for a very long time.

SELRT is a sure bet to start as soon as the NAIT one is finished imo. a lot less controversy and probably higher ridership numbers than the west line. it will be all peak hour riders though which is one disadvantage it has compared to the WLRT line, in that west ed is a draw pretty much the entire day where as the SELRT would be mostly 9-5 workers and 9-5 students

[MalcolmTucker]

Daily users are much easier to service than occassional users. Commuters are a better focus than mall patrons as anchors. Not that the mall isn't the best anchor in the west end.

[Coldrsx]

Starting In November
The first construction season for the North LRT to NAIT Project is wrapping up. Now that Kingsway
has been relocated and fully opened to traffic to make space for the future Kingsway Station,
foundation work on the station can begin in earnest. Foundation construction continues at MacEwan
Station and is now beginning on the NAIT Station, a full six months ahead of schedule thanks to the
co-operation of NAIT. In addition, city contractors will be installing equipment to monitor the ground
on 99th Street in preparation for the construction of a new LRT tunnel, which will run between
Churchill Station and 105 Avenue.

There was a flurry of activity last month as city contractors worked to meet key project milestones
for the first construction season. The City makes every effort to include construction activities in
monthly updates and quarterly newsletters; however, it’s the nature of construction that plans have
to be adjusted to accommodate the unexpected, such as poor weather. The City will continue
sending out construction bulletins to ensure that any unexpected changes are communicated.

Please see below for upcoming and ongoing construction activities, as well as recent project
milestones.
Roadworks – 99 Street Periodic Partial Closures
Activity Ground monitoring installation.
Reason To prepare for the construction of a new LRT tunnel, which will be built between
Churchill Station and 105 Ave.
Impacts 99 St. – Periodic partial closures from 103A Ave. to 102A Ave.
Dates November 2011
Construction – NAIT Station
Activity NAIT Station construction.
Reason The future NAIT Station will occupy the old NAIT Parking Lot F, which has been
relocated west of 109 Street on Princess Elizabeth Ave.
Impacts Periodic access changes to NAIT Campus from Princess Elizabeth Ave.
Dates November 2011 – Fall 2012

Ongoing Utility Relocations & Roadworks
Location Work Impact Approx. End
104 Ave. Service Road/99
St.-100 St. Ground monitoring
installation Periodic partial closures. November
2011
105 Ave./102 St.-103 St. Tunnel portal
excavation Total closure. No traffic
movements. Ongoing
105 Ave./103 St.-105 St. MacEwan Station
construction Total closure. No traffic
movements. Permanent
103 St./105 Ave.-106 Ave. Drainage & power
relocation Total closure of south half. No
traffic movements. Ongoing
103 St./107 Ave.-108 Ave. Drainage
relocation Partial closure of north half. November
2011
104 St./108 Ave.-Kingsway Track slab
construction Total closure. School board/Vic
access open from 108 Ave. Permanent
105 St./107 Ave.-108 Ave. Track slab
construction Total closure. No traffic
movements. Permanent
108 Ave./west of 104 St.-
105 St. Track slab
construction Total closure. No traffic
movements. Permanent
Kingsway/104 St.-106 St. Kingsway Station
construction Possible periodic partial closures. Fall 2012
111 Ave./105 St.-Kingsway Water relocation Periodic partial closures. November
2011
106 St./111 Ave.-Princess
Elizabeth Ave. Roadworks Periodic partial closures. November
2011
106 St. Service Road/112
Ave. intersection Roadworks Total closure. No traffic
movements. September
2012
Princess Elizabeth
Ave./106 St.-109 St. Drainage relocation Periodic partial closures. November
2011
NAIT Parking Lot F Drainage relocation &
roadworks Periodic access changes. November
2011

Recent Milestones
The North LRT project achieved several milestones in October, including:
 101 Street/104 Avenue-106 Avenue ground monitoring installation.
 105 Avenue/101 Street-103 Street soil stabilized in preparation for tunnelling.
 105 Street/107 Avenue-108 Avenue adjacent alleyway rehabilitation completed.
 Access to Prince of Wales Armouries relocated several metres west on 108 Avenue.
 105 Street/110 Avenue-Kingsway roadworks completed.
 Kingsway/102 Street-106 Street completely opened to traffic.

North LRT construction activities will be conducted during normal business hours as consistently as
possible. The City thanks residents, businesses, drivers and stakeholder groups for their patience.
For more information:
Visit www.edmonton.ca/nlrt Voicemail: (780) 496-4874 Email: [email protected]

[TimB09]

So how exactly are they building things underground at Chrurchill station? Are they extending the platform there or building a whole new platform for that leg of the LRT?