[MacLac]

Edmonton breaks ground on $1.3B Capital Line South LRT expansion

"We can't stop building transit. We can't stop building ways for people to move."

edmontonjournal.com

Anyone catch how Smitty's Twink - Dreeshen said, "$41Million from the Metro line was re-allocated....." to this line.

 

[BASE]

As per the city request. I wonder what that money was for? Next phase of metro line planning?

 

[Foolworm]

As per the city request. I wonder what that money was for? Next phase of metro line planning?

That's the money for the Montrose yard, which was shelved for the new train depot at Heritage Valley.

Also in the article it notes that the extension is supposed to accommodate 15,000 daily riders -- what VLSE is currently carrying(!)

 

[yeggator]

Guys, the renderings for a future overpass show it being 9 lanes wide

Is it really necessary to widen Ellerslie Road to THREE LANES per direction (plus turning lanes)? I feel like you could move traffic better by expanding 41st Ave, 28th Ave and 30th Ave as additional east-west arterial roads in Heritage Valley (with the latter getting an interchange at QE2 and connecting across to 25th Ave in the Ellerslie area. A bridge this wide is just hostile design for pedestrians walking under it and for the neighbourhood around it.

 

[Foolworm]

Guys, the renderings for a future overpass show it being 9 lanes wide
View attachment 655389
Is it really necessary to widen Ellerslie Road to THREE LANES per direction (plus turning lanes)? I feel like you could move traffic better by expanding 41st Ave, 28th Ave and 30th Ave as additional east-west arterial roads in Heritage Valley (with the latter getting an interchange at QE2 and connecting across to 25th Ave in the Ellerslie area. A bridge this wide is just hostile design for pedestrians walking under it and for the neighbourhood around it.

Of course, otherwise people will screech and howl about how 'it's not done right the first time'.

^ I loved that station design since day one! It was the first one to take a swing at some glam. Dark blue tile, stainless steel on portions of the ceiling tunnel walls, all wonderful. The only stain on perfection is the cold cold soul-crushing LEDs that replaced the original warmer light.

Can you imagine what people would say today?

"Cutting holes in an underground station to install oversized chandeliers?! Absolutely not!!"

"What if someone decides to do a Jackie Chan and shimmy down one of the lights? Will the City be held liable for any injuries?"

 

[thommyjo]

Guys, the renderings for a future overpass show it being 9 lanes wide
View attachment 655389
Is it really necessary to widen Ellerslie Road to THREE LANES per direction (plus turning lanes)? I feel like you could move traffic better by expanding 41st Ave, 28th Ave and 30th Ave as additional east-west arterial roads in Heritage Valley (with the latter getting an interchange at QE2 and connecting across to 25th Ave in the Ellerslie area. A bridge this wide is just hostile design for pedestrians walking under it and for the neighbourhood around it.

Car dependent, dense, sprawling suburbs is what we now have South of ellerslie. Those are arguably not enough lanes for the vehicle traffic in the area lol

 

[Blizzard]

Also in the article it notes that the extension is supposed to accommodate 15,000 daily riders -- what VLSE is currently carrying(!)

I feel that is a very conservative estimate. The demand for transit in the deep southwest is there but due to North American attitudes towards buses it has yet to be unlocked in any meaningful way.

With Heritage Valley having a large, free and dedicated park n' ride (leaving aside opinions on the highest and best land use yada yada) and ETS reallocating buses freed up from not having to essentially deadhead 10 different routes to Century Park all the time, there should be substantial opportunity for growing the network in the southwest.

If the current Capital Line is able to produce about 100,000 raw riders per average weekday I would not at all be surprised to see this extention add another 25,000. Especially once the province gets their head out of their ass and builds the new southwest hospital.

 

[Foolworm]

I feel that is a very conservative estimate. The demand for transit in the deep southwest is there but due to North American attitudes towards buses it has yet to be unlocked in any meaningful way.

With Heritage Valley having a large, free and dedicated park n' ride (leaving aside opinions on the highest and best land use yada yada) and ETS reallocating buses freed up from not having to essentially deadhead 10 different routes to Century Park all the time, there should be substantial opportunity for growing the network in the southwest.

If the current Capital Line is able to produce about 100,000 raw riders per average weekday I would not at all be surprised to see this extention add another 25,000. Especially once the province gets their head out of their ass and builds the new southwest hospital.

I originally had high expectations for Valley Line but had to temper those subsequently, so I'm a bit more reserved for this extension.

The City's business case is also more modest about the ridership increase (+9100 by 2030). Maybe the five digit figures are a long term target.

 

[trevorhayden]

Our LRT system is very downtown-focused. Until it becomes polycentric, it won't attract more riders.

 

[thommyjo]

Our LRT system is very downtown-focused. Until it becomes polycentric, it won't attract more riders.

Outside of the festival line idea, any others come to mind that you think could work well?

I’m guessing we’ll mostly need to rely on BRT for crosstown type routes for the next 20 years.

 

[Foolworm]

First things first -- the City still has to finish building out LRT to all sectors before working on other connections.

 

[yeggator]

Car dependent, dense, sprawling suburbs is what we now have South of ellerslie. Those are arguably not enough lanes for the vehicle traffic in the area lol

Expanding Ellerslie Road beyond 2 through lanes per direction won’t really fix congestion. The problem with the road network south of the Henday is that it barely exists at all. Heritage Valley Trail is supposed to be an additional north-south connector from across the Henday to 41st Ave SW, while 28th Ave SW is meant to link Rabbit Hill Road across the creek to Heritage Valley Trail and James Mowatt (with 41st Ave SW doing something similar from Terwillegar Drive). Plus, 30th Ave SW looks destined to cross the QE2 and connect with 25th Ave SW in southeast Edmonton. 41st Ave is a dangerous rural road west of Chappelle and none of the other arterials are built, so traffic just gets funnelled onto Ellerslie, Rabbit Hill and 111th Street, hence why they’re so busy
If the full network is built, there’s no need to expand Ellerslie Road to 3 lanes. Almost no other arterial road is built that wide, and the few that are encompass the inner ring road, regional links, major truck routes and expressways. Plus, building out the road network helps buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

 

[trevorhayden]

BRT is a good start. But it must convert existing lanes of traffic. No need to widen already wide roads.

 

[Avenuer]

Our LRT system is very downtown-focused. Until it becomes polycentric, it won't attract more riders.

Well that will be strangthened even more once VLW opens as WEM is a huge hub to have LRT access. That, plus the U of A, NAIT and the major hospitals make our system quite polycentric already, but I know what you mean with all of the lines converging Downtown.

 

[Foolworm]

The problem with the road network south of the Henday is that it barely exists at all.

I think this just reinforces the point that while the deep South is seeing a ton of growth and infrastructure dollars, North side is still waiting for the LRT to service already-established neighbourhoods.

Along with Metro line, perhaps the Gorman extension should be prioritised over the phase 2 south to the proposed hospital, which the Province is maliciously ignoring anyway. Manning Town Centre is almost fully built out and the houses stretch to the Henday there.