[CplKlinger]

The train is also delayed at Health science station waiting for traffic light phasing. Blame NIMBYs fo that.

I dislike NIMBYs a lot, but I think it's moreso the bad design in that area. It should have been grade-separated. That's why the Metro Line stops at Health Sciences instead of South Campus like it is planned to in the long term; right now, any additional LRT crossings would cause a complete failure at the 114 st/university ave intersection. I guess you could blame NIMBYs partly, since the McKernan and Belgravia communities were very vocal against a tunnel portal being built in their neighbourhood (which was the original plan in the 90s), fearing it would divide them more than an at-grade line. But I think the larger factor was the budget squeeze the city faced, since tunneling is around 2x as expensive IIRC and the Klein years had already set them back by a decade and a half.

This is my source for most of this comment (the plans for south campus I think I got from the mass transit report); I linked it before but I'll put it here again since it's a very interesting read. I believe there's a similar page for the 2000s, and another for the 2010s.

The History of the Funding of Edmonton's LRT: The 1990s

If Edmonton’s LRT is ever going to charge forward, it might be helpful to look back and see what has pushed it ahead in the past. Here’s the first in a series of po…

edmontonjournal.com

 

[Gronk!]

Union says bus driver injured in 'most severe' attack of the year; 2 teens charged

Two teenage boys have been charged in connection with the assault of a bus driver in Edmonton on Monday.

edmonton.ctvnews.ca

 

[dunno]

I dislike NIMBYs a lot, but I think it's moreso the bad design in that area. It should have been grade-separated. That's why the Metro Line stops at Health Sciences instead of South Campus like it is planned to in the long term; right now, any additional LRT crossings would cause a complete failure at the 114 st/university ave intersection. I guess you could blame NIMBYs partly, since the McKernan and Belgravia communities were very vocal against a tunnel portal being built in their neighbourhood (which was the original plan in the 90s), fearing it would divide them more than an at-grade line. But I think the larger factor was the budget squeeze the city faced, since tunneling is around 2x as expensive IIRC and the Klein years had already set them back by a decade and a half.

This is my source for most of this comment (the plans for south campus I think I got from the mass transit report); I linked it before but I'll put it here again since it's a very interesting read. I believe there's a similar page for the 2000s, and another for the 2010s.

The History of the Funding of Edmonton's LRT: The 1990s

If Edmonton’s LRT is ever going to charge forward, it might be helpful to look back and see what has pushed it ahead in the past. Here’s the first in a series of po…

edmontonjournal.com

Is there still an actual long term plan to fix the crossing with grade separation?

 

[TravellingChris]

Is there still an actual long term plan to fix the crossing with grade separation?

Not as far as I know. Even if there were, there are a pile of other projects ahead of such a proposal in the competition for scarce dollars:

• Metro Line from Blatchford Gate to Castle Downs
• Metro Line from Castle Downs to NW City Limits
• Capital Line South Phase 2
• Capital Line NE to Gorman

I don't even know how feasible grade separation would be at that intersection with the current configuration of the line. The LRT surfaces just north of Health Sciences station, it would hardly make sense to have it descend again immediately into a tunnel south of the station. The line should have been built properly from the beginning, with an underground Health Sciences station linked to the hospital by pedway, and with the line coming to the surface just south of University Avenue rather than just south of 87 Avenue.

 

[dunno]

Not as far as I know. Even if there were, there are a pile of other projects ahead of such a proposal in the competition for scarce dollars:

• Metro Line from Blatchford Gate to Castle Downs
• Metro Line from Castle Downs to NW City Limits
• Capital Line South Phase 2
• Capital Line NE to Gorman

I don't even know how feasible grade separation would be at that intersection with the current configuration of the line. The LRT surfaces just north of Health Sciences station, it would hardly make sense to have it descend again immediately into a tunnel south of the station. The line should have been built properly from the beginning, with an underground Health Sciences station linked to the hospital by pedway, and with the line coming to the surface just south of University Avenue rather than just south of 87 Avenue.

Thanks.

Kingsway is another one that should be rebuilt (elevated perhaps, with pedway direct to Glenrose and the mall) but the priority right now is on major expansion (understandable) rather than righting past wrongs.

Health Sciences could be left as-is and have trains briefly descend again. It's a bit janky and weird but a cheaper option than rebuilding the whole thing. But yeah, it should've been underground (or at least 'sunken') and done right back when it was constructed.

Southgate's the only other one I can think of that could use a re-do. And that would probably be the cheapest, as it would just involve minor reconfiguration to allow easier access to Southgate.

 

[CplKlinger]

Is there still an actual long term plan to fix the crossing with grade separation?

It's not like there's a capital profile for it yet, but the mass transit plan accepted by council a year or two ago hinges partly on it.

And

 

[Kosy123]

New officer hub, cameras, art installation part of $5M Edmonton transit safety project

A new plan to spend $5 million of provincial cash in an attempt to make Edmonton's transit system safer and cleaner was unveiled Thursday afternoon.

edmonton.ctvnews.ca

 

[Kosy123]

Just saw this from Michael Janz’s Twitter account

 

[David A]

The councilor often seems to be a bit of a show boat and a credit hog, but it is good to know things are improving.

Unfortunately, it took quite a while for the city to respond when things were becoming unbearable which I think that hurt the reputation of transit a lot, but hopefully it will eventually recover.

 

[Greenspace]

It should be noted that to my knowledge there is no new transit safety money for the new Valley Line. It will be managed using existing (although enhanced in the last year or so) resources.

 

[Kosy123]

I personally think things have been getting better lately, slowly but surely. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I really really do think that the worst is over now regarding transit safety (knock on wood)

 

[TravellingChris]

The councilor often seems to be a bit of a show boat and a credit hog, but it is good to know things are improving.

I don't think that's fair. Janz didn't claim that HE was responsible for the numbers moving in a positive direction. I think he just realizes that the community really needs some good news on the transit safety front, with data to back it up.

 

[David A]

In any event, I feel the councilor may have spoken too soon. I noticed this week several LRT stations are recently again turning into big homeless hangouts again.

Noticed quite a crowd back in front of the elevators at Corona LRT several times over the last few days. Most of us can sort of avoid it (although the only door now working is next to it), but people with accessibility issues need access to the elevator.

 

[Avenuer]

In any event, I feel the councilor may have spoken too soon. I noticed this week several LRT stations are recently again turning into big homeless hangouts again.

Noticed quite a crowd back in front of the elevators at Corona LRT several times over the last few days. Most of us can sort of avoid it (although the only door now working is next to it), but people with accessibility issues need access to the elevator.

As the weather gets colder and nights get darker, people seek shelter in the warm public spaces. Like the changing of the leaves in autumn...

 

[occidentalcapital]

In any event, I feel the councilor may have spoken too soon. I noticed this week several LRT stations are recently again turning into big homeless hangouts again.

Noticed quite a crowd back in front of the elevators at Corona LRT several times over the last few days. Most of us can sort of avoid it (although the only door now working is next to it), but people with accessibility issues need access to the elevator.

Call the number for transit security when you see this. Transit infrastructure is not suitable shelter space for folks and this makes transit very inaccessible.