Edmonton councillor’s LRT bus bridge questions to be answered next week

You didn’t see it because she was overseas on council business, but when the Alberta government confirmed $1.5 billion for Edmonton transit, Councillor Bev Esslinger did a happy dance.

For Esslinger, city council’s next priority after the west line — which was approved last week — is extending the Metro Line.

“I was happy because I thought with that, and with all of the other, we should be able to extend not only west but address the other things, and for me that would be northwest. Ideally, I’d still like to get it to Griesbach.”

To do that, the line would have to extend onto Blatchford, while sorting out the traffic snarls around the Royal Alexandra Hospital and NAIT, then expand over the Yellowhead and CN rail yards into Calder.

“Part of that conversation when it comes on April 3, is to talk about the bus bridge,” Esslinger said of an inquiry she made last term.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Part of that conversation when it comes on April 3, is to talk about the bus bridge," Esslinger said of an inquiry she made last term.

“How far we can get? Because that’s going to open up that whole corridor. That wasn’t part of this conversation because it’s coming.”

Esslinger said she refrained from Metro Line questions during last week’s west LRT public hearing, after getting advance word of next week’s report.

She’s also interested in how informal talks between the city didn’t get very far on the concept of a Kingsway Mall station. During the public hearing, she asked if Oxford Properties was going to pony up some of the $75-million price tag, but was told things never moved on to the point where there would be a proposal.

“I was surprised because they were very open to it and they were wanting it so I kind of thought if they were wanting to help get it by investing in it,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I was surprised because they were very open to it and they were wanting it so I kind of thought if they were wanting to help get it by investing in it," she said.

“It would be valuable. I think it’s a great opportunity for the mall to have something there. That’s why I want to find out what happened with that. It sounded like they were continuing conversations and what they said is they could add a station.”

The April 3 report will also look into alignment of the LRT to help with traffic at 111 Avenue that Esslinger said has become a pinch point.

“I’d like to get that information and figure out what are we going to do about that.”