[thommyjo]

Given the headache and cost that the CN yard will be, along with another headache dealing with a separate municipality that hasn't been the best partner lately, and with so much of our population growth happening south of the Henday, I think it makes much more sense to devote money to the south side and airport. Expanding to the airport should be the priority for Edmonton, not St. Albert.

I find myself torn. In some ways, there’s already 100k people up there to service vs the LRT to airport is a lot lower pop for a while still.

Griesbach and other northern communities will also really benefit from the train with the density they’re adding. Infill from Yellowhead to 153ave will pick up the next decade, so more transit is wise to plan.

But an airport rail connection is a must. In a few years we’ll be the only major city without one in canada.

We also need to add fare zones before we link up the suburbs. Why my 12min trip to downtown should cost the same as someone in chapelle or rosenthal or St. Albert is stupid. I’ve heard ETS say they aren’t doing them because of “equity” reasons, but I think that’s BS when you look at housing prices in our city. Nothing equitable about charging the same price to a Queen Mary park or McCauley resident as you do a windemere or summerside one.

 

[David A]

I find myself torn. In some ways, there’s already 100k people up there to service vs the LRT to airport is a lot lower pop for a while still.

Griesbach and other northern communities will also really benefit from the train with the density they’re adding. Infill from Yellowhead to 153ave will pick up the next decade, so more transit is wise to plan.

But an airport rail connection is a must. In a few years we’ll be the only major city without one in canada.

We also need to add fare zones before we link up the suburbs. Why my 12min trip to downtown should cost the same as someone in chapelle or rosenthal or St. Albert is stupid. I’ve heard ETS say they aren’t doing them because of “equity” reasons, but I think that’s BS when you look at housing prices in our city. Nothing equitable about charging the same price to a Queen Mary park or McCauley resident as you do a windemere or summerside one.

I mainly agree. With the completion of the Valley Line and expansion of the Capital Line we will have fairly good service to the North East and South East, West and South.

So one of the biggest gaps remaining in Edmonton will be the North and North West, as well as St. Albert. However, getting to the airport soon is also important.

Also, I recall years ago we used to have free LRT downtown, I wonder if we could perhaps have reduced fares in a central zone for shorter trips in this zone, which could also help boost downtown and nearby.

 

[johnnyboy]

Even though a St. Albert line would benefit Edmonton's coffers too, I'm reluctant to support that line unless it's funded by St. Albert and other levels of government, and not at the expense of funding Edmonton lines, like the airport or SW. If it goes north, St. Albert can pick up the tab from Griesbach on.

Spite is a legitimate reason, right?

 

[Edmcowboy11]

Well I imagine that if a line gets built from the end of the Edmonton line and into St Albert it would be that City paying for their construction. Perhaps there could be a little bit of car sharing on the tie-in to our LRT and maybe further cost sharing on the purchase of additional trains but the physical construction costs would probably be covered by the city of St Albert.

 

[The_Cat]

I believe the Henday at St. Albert Trail is on the Edmonton side.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

I believe the Henday at St. Albert Trail is on the Edmonton side.

yeah I think so.

 

[Tropical]

I find myself torn. In some ways, there’s already 100k people up there to service vs the LRT to airport is a lot lower pop for a while still.

Griesbach and other northern communities will also really benefit from the train with the density they’re adding. Infill from Yellowhead to 153ave will pick up the next decade, so more transit is wise to plan.

But an airport rail connection is a must. In a few years we’ll be the only major city without one in canada.

We also need to add fare zones before we link up the suburbs. Why my 12min trip to downtown should cost the same as someone in chapelle or rosenthal or St. Albert is stupid. I’ve heard ETS say they aren’t doing them because of “equity” reasons, but I think that’s BS when you look at housing prices in our city. Nothing equitable about charging the same price to a Queen Mary park or McCauley resident as you do a windemere or summerside one.

This is why I so consistently mention BRT and its effects on this calculus. Griesbach and other northern neighbourhoods have rapid transit planned via the B1 route up 97 Street. I cannot fathom building this infrastructure then replacing it with LRT in only a decade.

Once this happens, further south extensions become the best way to serve more individuals. The airport only drives this forward.

 

[fromyeg]

This is why I so consistently mention BRT and its effects on this calculus. Griesbach and other northern neighbourhoods have rapid transit planned via the B1 route up 97 Street. I cannot fathom building this infrastructure then replacing it with LRT in only a decade.

Once this happens, further south extensions become the best way to serve more individuals. The airport only drives this forward.

Agree that the building of BRT will change the calculus.

The only thing I’d add is that per Edmonton’s Mass Transit Plan, the plan is to have both B1 BRT to Castle Downs and the Metro Line extension up to and then beyond Castle Downs, not to replace BRT with LRT.

 

[thommyjo]

Agree that the building of BRT will change the calculus.

The only thing I’d add is that per Edmonton’s Mass Transit Plan, the plan is to have both B1 BRT to Castle Downs and the Metro Line extension up to and then beyond Castle Downs, not to replace BRT with LRT.

Are we building real BRT though? Or just some bus lanes with higher frequency? I feel like I haven’t seen anything on upgraded stops, more buses, signage, dedicated roadways, or anything that would be overly BRT. My impression is that our BRT was mostly a frequency, route, and comms change. Not an infrastructure upgrade.

The switching costs to LRT aren’t massive then. And the adoption of BRT done poorly isn’t way better usually vs dedicated rail projects. So an LRT to the NW still makes sense imo.

 

[J_gordo]

I’m still skeptical that metro NW will get funding. Based on the AB master rail plan, the province will want to fund the capital line south to the airport so it could connect with a future HSR / commuter rail (assuming it happens). Bad timing of course, but StA won’t fund an LRT that would bring “riff raff” into their city.

I did see Micheal Janz send some literature about BRT but he didn’t include any specific details, so I assume it’s early planing. Either way bad break for those in the NW of the city

 

[Tropical]

I’m still skeptical that metro NW will get funding. Based on the AB master rail plan, the province will want to fund the capital line south to the airport so it could connect with a future HSR / commuter rail (assuming it happens). Bad timing of course, but StA won’t fund an LRT that would bring “riff raff” into their city.

I did see Micheal Janz send some literature about BRT but he didn’t include any specific details, so I assume it’s early planing. Either way bad break for those in the NW of the city

Exactly. We saw with Calgary's Green Line that this government is happy to just tell us what they'll build, and they've been explicit about LRT to the airport.

And yes, there are absolutely two BRT lines (one to Castle Downs) that the city is moving forward. The other line very much impacts Janz' ward since it connects Bonnie Doon to West Edmonton Mall.

 

[fromyeg]

Are we building real BRT though? Or just some bus lanes with higher frequency? I feel like I haven’t seen anything on upgraded stops, more buses, signage, dedicated roadways, or anything that would be overly BRT. My impression is that our BRT was mostly a frequency, route, and comms change. Not an infrastructure upgrade.

The switching costs to LRT aren’t massive then. And the adoption of BRT done poorly isn’t way better usually vs dedicated rail projects. So an LRT to the NW still makes sense imo.

I hope we get BRT and not JAB (just a bus).

We have a while to wait until we see what is actually proposed.

NW LRT definitely still makes sense (it will add capacity and serve different areas than the B1 BRT) and is part of the plan, I just worry that money is short and it could be deprioritized.

(Here’s hoping that the provincial and federal governments come forward with some $$$ in the coming years and both projects can move ahead.)

(Also apologies because I recognize this is the Valley Line thread and not the Metro Line or BRT threads.)

 

[Kosy123]

Seems like the weather right now is supportive of Marigold's goal of getting all the track done by the end of the year lol

 

[The_Cat]

Construction at 106 Street/102 Avenue:

 

[BASE]

Given the headache and cost that the CN yard will be, along with another headache dealing with a separate municipality that hasn't been the best partner lately, and with so much of our population growth happening south of the Henday, I think it makes much more sense to devote money to the south side and airport. Expanding to the airport should be the priority for Edmonton, not St. Albert.

I'm curious why St. Albert hasn't been a great partner? I haven't kept up to date but I think they have stuck with Edmonton Global despite a few municipalities recently departing, they also showed support for the Edmonton metro transit services commission prior to Edmonton leaving.