A bridge that would cross from Blatchford, over the Yellowhead and CN yards and into the Calder neighbourhood would be able to divert bus riders away from heavy traffic for the time being, but it wouldn’t save the taxpayer enough money to make it worthwhile, according to a new Edmonton report. (Read the full report below)
The report was written based on an inquiry last year from Councillor Bev Esslinger to look at building it early for express buses, then later converted to LRT.
“This interim express bus service would improve transit options (compared to existing) for northwest Edmonton residents travelling downtown, but would not have sufficient capacity to meet ultimate ridership projections,” the report read. “Constructing an interim express bus service, and then retrofitting this service to LRT in the future, could result in substantial throwaway costs and present operational challenges (transit service disruption) during the retrofit process.”
The overall price to extend the Metro Line through Blatchford and eventually up to Campbell Road to serve St. Albert residents, would be $1.75 billion. Even the lowest throwaway cost would be $350 million to do the bus to LRT conversion.
Then it would see four years of bus service mingling with existing traffic on 127 Street or 97 Street, while the bridge and transit right-of-way would be converted to LRT use, further frustrating riders.
It’s prompted Esslinger to see if they can build LRT sooner rather than later, because of the high cost of LRT construction that would see Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) costs even higher.
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“You add in the BRT of any fashion, it just seems to be a high cost which I don’t quite understand,” Esslinger said in a telephone interview from Ottawa where she’s attending meetings of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Esslinger would like to see if it’s doable to build a shorter line for now, to a proposed transit terminal at 132 Avenue.
“Greisbach is poised to do a transit oriented development as soon as they know the LRT is coming,” she said. “Then they can begin to sell land and develop that corner. And it’s ready to do that, as soon as we know what we’re doing.”
Esslinger said city staff should push ahead with this extension of the Metro Line because Ottawa and the province have already committed to redesign of Yellowhead Trail to make it a free flow expressway.
“I think it’s the best use of taxpayer dollars and the best opportunity for the least amount of disruption to the people that use it.
“It makes sense to design it and then minimize disruption to the greater community by building it in conjunction with it. It makes the most sense to me.”
This extension of the Metro Line is well down the pecking order that city council has set. Building the Valley Line to the west is considered priority 1A, and extending the Metro Line from NAIT, onto the Blatchford development is 1B.
The report also said using express buses would only accommodate twenty per cent of potential riders, making LRT a better long term option.
City council’s urban planning committee will review the report Tuesday.
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