WATCH ABOVE: With so many people worried about some kind of delay along the Metro Line, we decided to test out which form of transportation was fastest. Fletcher Kent reports.
EDMONTON — The Metro Line LRT faced its first true test Tuesday morning as many students went back to school for their first day of classes and motorists went back to work after the long weekend.
In light of news revealed last week that drivers could wait upwards of 16 minutes at two intersections in the Kingsway area, major delays were expected Tuesday. So Global News decided to do its own experiment; which means of transportation would be quickest to travel from Churchill Square to NAIT fast: the train, a vehicle, or a bicycle?
I took the Metro LRT Line, Global Edmonton anchor Nancy Carlson rode a bicycle, and graphic producer Tonia Huynh drove a vehicle.
As it turned out, I arrived at NAIT first, making the trip in 12 minutes, while both Nancy and Tonia arrived three minutes later.
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The LRT ride was fairly proficient other than a two minute stop at the MacEwan Station. The modified 25 km/h speed limit wasn’t a significant issue for myself or the other passengers I spoke to.
“It was good. It was on time. I ride the LRT a fair bit so it was what I expected,” said Dan MacLean, LRT commuter.
Tonia’s drive was better than she had anticipated. She expected it to take about 25 minutes. In fact, the major hindrance during her trip wasn’t caused by the LRT, rather construction on 101 Street near Churchill Square.
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“Hitting the crossing by Royal Alex wasn’t too bad. It was fairly quick, about a minute and I was through,” said Tonia.
Nancy also cited construction as the primary obstruction in her ride. She said the traffic didn’t cause her an unusual delay. She also avoided the two intersections on Princess Elizabeth Avenue/106 Street and 111 Avenue/Kingsway Avenue where the longest delays are expected, which helped her make the trip in good time.
“Avoided them at all cost. That was the advantage of having the bike.”
The experiment isn’t an exact indication of what every cyclist, driver and Metro Line commuter will experience on a daily basis, but it was intended to give Edmontonians travelling in the area on weekday mornings an idea of what they could expect.
WATCH: Global Edmonton sent three employees to find out which would be quicker to get from downtown to NAIT: riding the new Metro LRT Line, driving or riding a bike. Erin Chalmers reveals the results live on the Morning News.
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