A Modest Proposal: (expanding upon my previous post, thank you
@ION for the idea)
118 Avenue has long been a significant transportation corridor and commercial high street. Owing its importance to its role as the primary route connecting Edmonton to the town of Beverly, 118 Avenue began to decline in importance after Beverly was absorbed by Edmonton in 1961. Further decline occurred as a result of the broader trend towards suburbanisation in the 1970s. Beginning in the mid-2000s and continuing to the present day the avenue and its surrounding area have experienced somewhat of a revitalisation, and has seen an increase in investment thanks to concerted community and municipal efforts. There is, however, still much work to be done to this end.
The ongoing redevelopment of the former Municipal Airport and the future redevelopment of the Coliseum and exhibition grounds present a major opportunity for hastening the pace at which Alberta Avenue is revitalised, and for encouraging significant new development as well. These two major transit oriented developments (TODs) will, upon completion, constitute two of the largest single investments in Edmonton's history. Blatchford is projected to house up to 30,000 residents, and the Exhibition Lands will likely contain 7,500 residents. Between these two TODs is the central campus of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, which has more than 20,000 students and faculty. With these factors in mind, the portion of 118 Avenue between 109 Street and Wayne Gretzky Drive presents an excellent corridor for a streetcar or tramway.
A street-level light railway along the 118 Avenue corridor would provide a dedicated connection between two major TODs, and connect them both to NAIT (one of the largest educational institutions in Alberta) and the commercial high street. Additionally, it would also connect the Capital and Metro LRT lines laterally, bypassing the busy city centre and attracting further traffic to the area. The former Westwood Garage sits along 118 Avenue, and could be modified to house LRVs, or a new facility constructed on the site; alternatively, a connection to the regular LRT network could allow for servicing and storage at an existing facility. A streetcar or tramway along 118 Avenue would be a boon for the area, and a concrete commitment on the part of the City of Edmonton to the ongoing efforts to revitalise Alberta Avenue.
Included is a map of the line I have outlined, complete with locations of potential stops. It does not connect directly to the LRT network at either end, but neither terminus is more than a 3-5 minute walk from existing or planned stations and would likely be connected by footpaths. This is but phase one of a potential network, which could be expanded to cover much of the surrounding area. I can post an expanded map of the whole network once completed if anyone is interested, but this is realistically where I could see it going first, if anywhere at all.
We're yet to meet someone as enthusiastic as him, regarding this part of the city.
