As the City of Edmonton considers a total reimagination of how it manages public transit, a clearer picture of what the proposed overhaul may look like is emerging.
On Wednesday, the Urban Planning Committee heard the results of a widespread public consultation completed by the Edmonton Transit System (ETS). The consulation received input from about 20,000 people and took approximately 18 months to complete.
The ETS said what the survey found, was that Edmonton might benefit from a more layered approach to how it balances the needs of suburban transit users and inner-city passengers.
It’s proposing a rapid, multi-stop system for the city’s core along with more direct routes for suburban commuters.
“You’re looking at frequency, you’re looking at connectivity, you’re looking at – you know – a span of day is important,” Eddie Robar, the head of the ETS, said. “When you move yourself out of that inner ring road, you have a lot of urban commuter service which is, you know, people going to and from work, point to point, direct services, ‘How do I get from point A to point B?’ These are the things we’re exploring as part of that network plan itself.”
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ETS envisions a two-pronged approach: a more consistent grid service with plenty of service for the city’s inner ring or mature neighbourhoods, and more direct routes in the city’s outer ring that might require longer walks to get to transit routes but would also try to better address demand for peak hours.
“Council is going to have some big decisions to make,” Mayor Don Iveson said, adding council needs to ensure any changes don’t negatively impact seniors and others with mobility issues. “It will be really important to make sure that we continue to serve those populations with something that is a little more local.”
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ETS will appear before the Urban Planning Committee again in early 2017.
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Iveson suggested he was optimistic that changes to how public transit is approached will improve how Edmontonians get around the city.
“In a few years time, I hope our system looks like most of the other big city systems that I’ve ridden as a tourist in other cities,” he said. “You just go, get on it and it gets you swiftly to and directly to your destination. It also doesn’t just stop at every block.”
-with files from Kent Morrison and 630 CHED’s Scott Johnston.
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