Editor’s note: The original news release from the city stated the stalls would be reduced from 1,085 to 866. An updated release corrected a typo the city made, clarifying there will be 886 stalls remaining. This story has been updated with the new information.
Citing private development, the City of Edmonton announced Thursday that the number of park-and-ride stalls at the Century Park transit station will be decreasing.
A northwest section of the reserved lot will be returned to the landowner at the owner’s request, leaving 886 stalls, down from 1,085. The change will come into effect on Nov. 20.
That means there will be 221 free stalls and 665 reserved stalls available for park-and-ride commuters.
Due to the changes, the central area of reserved stalls will remain for those who wish to pay for a spot while the free stalls will be in the northeast lot.
According to the lease, the city is required to move and/or return parking spaces to accommodate any development plans by the landowner.
In a release issued on Thursday, the city said there should be “minimal impact” on customers currently using the private stalls, despite 50 fewer spaces.
In an email, a city spokeswoman said that was because the city hadn’t been renting out stalls as they were returned each month, so that reserved stalls wouldn’t be taken from existing customers.
Riders are urged to carpool, arrive early, take a bus to the LRT station or use the free parking with express bus service from the Lewis Farms bus transit centre on 87 Avenue, west of the Anthony Henday, or the Davies Lot on 86 Street and 61 Avenue.
The future of park-and-ride parking
The city’s lease at Century Park was set to expire in 2020, but that has since been extended to 2025. But the actual footprint of the parking lot will change as development permits get taken out and the landowner requests sections of the land back.
That has increased the call for a new park and ride in the south, and plans are in place to build one in the area of Ellerslie Road and 127 Street, with a shuttle to the Century Park transit centre.
“I think it puts pressure on us to get something developed there sooner rather than later,” Ward 9 Councillor Tim Cartmell said.
“Essentially we have a lease [at Century Park] on what becomes a very small lot or almost a non-existent lot.”
The city will be hosting an open house to get resident feedback on the park-and-ride location, as well as Capital Line South LRT extension and the 135 Street/Anthony Henday connection.
“We’re starting to plan this thing. It needs to be built as soon as possible.”
The open house will be at the Ellerslie Rugby Park Hall at 11004 Ellerslie Road SW from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 29.
The city is hoping the new park and ride is built by the end of 2019.
Once construction around the current Century Park transit centre is complete, Walters said there will be 1,125 parking stalls available for LRT users inside parkades or residential parking structures.
– With files from Scott Johnston, 630 CHED