Coverage vs. Frequency: Edmonton wants your input on the future of transit

Should Edmonton’s transit system focus on high coverage with buses stopping all over the city, or on high frequency to the most popular areas or routes?

Both options have pros and cons, so Edmonton Transit is holding public consultations aimed at determining what the priority should be over the next 10 years.

Two workshops are being held in the next two months, along with an online survey that’s open until the end of June. Because transit impacts everyone’s quality of life, non-riders are encouraged to take part.

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The ‘coverage’ option would see more stops closer to homes in suburbs, but would be slower because buses would spend time on curvy residential roads.

The ‘frequency’ option would focus on popular routes and be more efficient, but would mean people outside the main corridors — such as in the newer neighbourhoods on the city’s outskirts — would have to wait longer for a bus or walk further to get to a stop.

“A transit system can’t be everything to everyone so we want to know which options are most important, if you had to choose between them,” said the introduction to the online survey.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "A transit system can't be everything to everyone so we want to know which options are most important, if you had to choose between them," said the introduction to the online survey.

A video posted to YouTube (and in the video player above) explains the dilemma.

“We need to invest our limited dollars in the right way and while we know some choices might be hard, it’s an opportunity for you to make a real difference,” the city continues.

“Your answers will make a real difference in the development of the bus system over the next 10 years.”

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The survey was crafted based upon technical factors and priorities collected from 10,000 Edmontonians over the past year.

The first workshop will take place the evening of Tuesday, April 26 at City Hall, and the second is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17 at the Terwillegar Rec Centre. Those wanting to attend have to pre-register.

The final Transit Strategy vision and guiding principles are slated to go to City Council in the spring of 2017.

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