Freedm said:
This part caught my eye: "Reconfiguring 109 St between Princess Elizabeth Ave and 118 Ave". Do we know exactly what they're doing with this stretch of road?
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That 'road' is basically a back alley servicing the NAIT parking lot at the moment - I don't think people even realise it's one. They have to rebuild that section because the entrance off PEA will be closed while they construct the new track, and it will be a new thoroughfare for the NAIT expansion areas.
 
Hey! I asked the City a four questions about the Metro Line Expansion. Below is a copy of their response. I thought others on here might find this interesting!

Q1: What is the status of the alternative signalling project? When is it supposed to be completed? What service improvements for the Metro line are expected due to this project? What work remains to be done?

The City's contractor for the project, Alstom Transport Canada Inc., has started installing a fixed-block signalling system on the tracks between MacEwan and NAIT stations. Construction and installation of the new system began in fall 2019 and will take about one year. The system will then be tested and commissioned before we start using it. The ETS schedule for the Metro Line is not anticipated to change as a result of this project. However, once the new signalling system is installed and commissioned, speed restrictions will be lifted in certain sections, allowing for a quicker, more efficient travel time for LRT riders.

Q2: Will Phase 1 of the Metro Line Expansion include more LRVs? How will the new LRV facility impact LRT service in Edmonton?

Phase 1 of the Metro Line Expansion includes the purchase of six new LRV's for operation of the extension in alignment with the current ETS schedule. The new LRV facility will provide additional storage for the City's LRV fleet, as the current Operations and Maintenance Facility is at capacity. It will also help serve future high-floor LRT network expansions and increases to the current ETS service levels.

Q3: Is Blatchford construction work (i.e. adjacent roads, cycle lanes near the expansion) integrated with the expansion work? What services/facilities are expected to be near the new stations when they open up?

The construction of the Metro Line expansion into Blatchford is planned to include all major elements within the transit mall corridor, including: shared use paths, landscaping, boulevards, sidewalks, intersections and some connections. Future services and facilities in this area will align with Blatchford's land-use plans as a sustainable community. The timing of these services/facilities will depend on the development market. Please note, the NAIT/Blatchford Market station will continue to service NAIT students along with Kingsway Mall.

Q4: What changes to the existing Metro route alignment are expected with the expansion? Will access to Kingsway mall from LRT be improved?

There are no changes to the current Metro Line alignment as part of this expansion. This project will extend the Metro Line northwest beyond the current NAIT station. It will also include moving the current temporary NAIT station farther north, which will improve access for students on NAIT campus, locate it closer to the future Blatchford Market district, and accommodate 5-car trains in the future. Access to Kingsway Mall will not be affected, although a wayfinding study will be undertaken to ensure transit riders can easily navigate their way to/from transit and nearby locations of interest.
 
Excellent Questions @danimori. I liked the city's response in general, but the last sentence in Question 1, "However, once the new signalling system is installed and commissioned, speed restrictions will be lifted in certain sections," I question? Why any speed restrictions? Or is it that certain sections have limitations that require a lower speed, regardless? If that's the case then said speed is not "restricted" but rather that's the sections designed speed requirement(snail's pace). "Restricted" is just a poor word choice, so limiting. Now "snail's pace" that's a more snazzy descriptor, and kind of a remising of a ride at Disney Land. ?
 
Daveography said:
@Kaizen I imagine speeds will be lower on curves to reduce noise and vibration.
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You mean, @Daveography, like the shrill screaming one hears emanating from a roller coaster ride (whee, aye carumba, let me off, etc.) -- that noise; and the vibration from nervously shaking bodies -- that vibration. ???
 
Kaizen said:
Excellent Questions @danimori. I liked the city's response in general, but the last sentence in Question 1, "However, once the new signalling system is installed and commissioned, speed restrictions will be lifted in certain sections," I question? Why any speed restrictions? Or is it that certain sections have limitations that require a lower speed, regardless? If that's the case then said speed is not "restricted" but rather that's the sections designed speed requirement(snail's pace). "Restricted" is just a poor word choice, so limiting. Now "snail's pace" that's a more snazzy descriptor, and kind of a remising of a ride at Disney Land. ?
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That’s because LRT drivers right now drive by sight on the Metro Line. Once the block signals are in place, they will be allowed to go faster than they are now.
 
transforming.edmonton.ca

Sustainable transportation: bringing LRT to Blatchford - Transforming Edmonton

Transportation contributes more than 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Edmonton and is responsible for more than 40 per cent of energy use. That makes the transportation sector the site of the largest climate challenge the community faces. Reducing the number of automobiles on the road...
transforming.edmonton.ca transforming.edmonton.ca
 
^ I've probably missed it somewhere along the line, but that's the first I've heard the Montrose Llew Lawrence LRV Storage Facility. I know a while back there was some discussion regarding the expansion of Borden Park and the redevelopment of the Exhibition Grounds that the City was considering building a new LRT facility at the site of the old Cromdale bus barns — any relation to that?

Edit: I'm a dummy, I see it was answered literally three posts above mine
 
For some context, this is where the new facility will be as discussed in the strategic plan for the exhibition lands. It is interesting that they are putting the facility on a leg of the line that already holds the main facility. I wonder if there are any drawbacks to that? NO IDEA.
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danimori said:
For some context, this is where the new facility will be as discussed in the strategic plan for the exhibition lands. It is interesting that they are putting the facility on a leg of the line that already holds the main facility. I wonder if there are any drawbacks to that? NO IDEA.
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Yeah, that's the Montrose facility. The (former) Cromdale yards are not quite as far north on the other side of the alignment, which would be a bit trickier since trains would need to cross the CN track to access it.

As to the drawbacks, for a long time Calgary's LRT yards were all on the Southern leg; it wasn't until West LRT opened that the Blue line got its own yard. The biggest problem is when trains break down far away from the maintenance shop: oftentimes there will be strategically placed 'pocket tracks' where they can be parked temporarily until end of service, when they can then be towed back for repairs. Edmonton has one right next to South Campus; Calgary has one between Dalhousie and Brentwood.

The other issue is that it can take a long time to deploy trains: for instance, Calgary has to park trains at Tuscany overnight for a while now to make their timetables work. Unfortunately for them there isn't space along the Northwest leg to put a shop, nor is there an easy way to build a turnout for trains since it runs in the middle of Crowchild Trail. In Edmonton's case it's not really a problem yet since Metro line is so short, plus the downtown tunnel means there's less of a bottleneck (although I think trains still have to pull into Churchill and change tracks - someone can check and correct me on that).
 
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