EDMONTON — The parking lot at the Century Park transit station is a convenient way for commuters to take transit each morning — that is, if they can find a parking spot.
“It’s pretty bad. I actually changed my work hours so I can get here earlier to get parking,” said Rahim, who commutes from the southside lot.
The free park and ride lot, at the southern-most LRT station near 111th Street and 23rd Avenue, is the only one in southwest Edmonton. It fills up fast each morning and the opening of the Metro LRT Line has only heightened demand for parking.
Experienced commuters say you have to show up well before 7 a.m. in order to nab one of the 1,300 stalls.
“It’s crazy in the morning,” commuter Ashika said around 6 a.m.
“I am always here early, even though I start work at 8 o’clock. Just for parking I am here early.”
Ashika said if she is late and can’t find a spot, she drives to downtown and pays for parking.
Global News reporter Michel Boyer was at Century Park Monday morning and said things had calmed down around 7:30 a.m. “Frankly, because there’s no space left so people are basically just circling around.”
The problem isn’t new. The parking woes have been ongoing since shortly after the Century Park station opened in 2010.
An ETS transit official said the busy park and ride lot is “not unusual or unique to this year as September is always the busiest month for us as people return to work and school and are settling into a routine.”
“However, ETS is taking a closer look.
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“We did a comprehensive passenger survey few years ago that looked at where people using park and ride were coming from so we could better understand their needs. We built our bus routes around this information to ensure they are served well.
“In the meantime, LRT stations such as Century Park are well served by a network of local feeder routes that provide direct service to the communities. If getting to the lots early isn’t an option, people might want to try a bus transfer or reserve a parking stall for $49. They can also use smart bus to get real time info on where their bus is at to better plan their day (ie: they will know if bus is late in a snow storm because it gives real time info.) ”
As frustrating as it may be now, trying to commute from southwest Edmonton could become even more arduous in the coming years. Currently the city is only leasing the Park and Ride lot. It’s reached the halfway point on the 10-year lease.
The city is looking at building another Park and Ride lot south of the Anthony Henday, located at Ellerslie Road and 127th Street. Every seven to eight minutes, shuttle busses would ferry drivers to the Century Park LRT station. The plan is expected to cost about $3 million annually, plus about $10 million for new busses.
When the LRT was extended to south Edmonton the original plan was for Park and Ride lots to be built both at Century Park and at the Southgate LRT station. However, the shopping centre wouldn’t allow the development and the Century Park lot was scrapped because of soaring costs.
READ MORE: South Edmonton Park and Ride lot changes could mean longer commute
Some commuters have avoided the parking problem completely. The ski2LRT movement encourages Edmontonians to leave their cars at home and ski to the Century Park LRT station in the winter.
READ MORE: Grassroots movement urges Edmontonians to ditch cars and ski to LRT
A Park and Ride lot will be built when the Valley LRT line opens in the south side of the city connecting Mill Woods to downtown.
With files from Emily Mertz, Global News
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