Kingsway Transit Centre closure frustrating passengers  

EDMONTON- The transition from the old Kingsway Transit Centre to the new one has not been the smoothest for some.

On June 29, the new transit centre next to the Royal Alex LRT officially opened, permanently closing the old centre on 111 Avenue and 106 Street, right next to Kingsway Mall.

The new facility links bus and LRT services and is closer to major destinations including the Royal Alex Hospital, Central McDougall community and Victoria School for the Arts.

“It’s all about creating an integrated network of bus and LRT,” said Brad Smid, Program Manager for LRT Design and Construction.

Although the new transit centre makes trips to these destinations more convenient, it is causing headaches for passengers who want to get to Kingsway Mall. Instead of walking off the bus and into the mall, passengers are now forced to zigzag across the road in order to reach their destination.

The new transit centre has been the biggest struggle for seniors trying to get their shopping done.

“I’m not really impressed, but maybe if I get used to it it’ll be fine,” said one senior passenger.

“I wouldn’t know how to get to the mall.”

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Glen MacCuish, a senior citizen and unable to walk far distances, was unaware of the transit centre change. MacCuish finally gave up on taking the bus after experiencing the confusing detour.

“I’ll just go home and take a cab,” MacCuish said. “I’m handicapped so in this particular case it’s better to just get a cab.”

Despite the difficulties, Smid assures the public it’s a positive change.

“It will take time for people to adjust to, but we’re also confident that when people do adjust to it, we’ll have a better overall transit network.”

The Metro Line LRT is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The line will extend from downtown to NAIT, and will include three new stations at MacEwan University, Kingsway Mall and NAIT.