Edmonton LRT Plans
Edmonton Transit Plans
Catching the LRT is not only an handy means of transportation but Eco friendly to boot. If you’re Living and working in the downtown/university area of Edmonton, you no doubt know the our subway system like the back of your hand. As our great city grows and flourishes plans have been set into motion to ensure our transit system can keep up with the growing demand. If you thought we were going to stop at Southgate, think again! Here is the official City of Edmonton plan for the LRT.
LONG-TERM LRT EXPANSION LRT NETWORK PLAN
In 2009, Edmonton City Council adopted a long-term LRT Network Plan that defines the future size, scale and
operation of Edmonton’s LRT system.
The LRT Network Plan balances Edmonton’s long-term transportation needs with a commitment to grow green and create a compact, integrated urban environment featuring a high-quality, accessible transportation mode. Key directions within the plan include:
- Growth in outlying communities is unlikely to be sufficient to support LRT. Transit service to regional areas, where demand warrants, would be best provided in a different form such as bus rapid transit.
- LRT lines not tying into the existing LRT system will feature surface (street-level) operation and will provide convenient connections to the existing LRT system in multiple locations.
- An urban-system design should be pursued for any new LRT lines. Over time, changes should be expected on the existing LRT system to incorporate urban LRT characteristics, such as adding stations as redevelopment and ridership potential increase.
- Low-floor LRT technology should be adopted for any new LRT line that does not physically tie into the existing LRT system.
- Some sectors such as the West will require premium bus service to supplement LRT service.
BRINGING URBAN LRT TO EDMONTON’S HIGH-FLOOR SYSTEM
Edmonton’s current LRT vehicles use a high-floor technology. This technology will continue to be used on the Northeast, South and future Northwest LRT lines. However, changes can be expected over time on the existing LRT system to incorporate urban LRT characteristics, including adding stations as redevelopment and ridership potential increase. The North LRT to NAIT extension will incorporate some features of urban LRT by putting a greater emphasis on architectural features and urban design.
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS
LRT is a vital part of an overarching Regional Transit Plan. Logical end points for the LRT network may evolve over time; however, analysis considering long-term regional population and employment growth provides a good indication of the extent of each segment and logical destinations. A full build-out scenario of LRT to the entire region was reviewed. It was found that a region-wide LRT network is not practical because of limits to the length of LRT routes when considering vehicle speed, distance and infrastructure costs. Urban centres within the region that are a significant distance from Edmonton would be better served by other transit solutions, such as bus rapid transit and inter-municipal transit with interchange/transfer points to the LRT system.
TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES
Expanding the LRT system is a key priority for the City in order to meet Edmonton’s transportation needs as it continues to grow. Completion on the North LRT to NAIT is expected by 2014. This line will link Churchill Station to stations at Grant MacEwan University, the Royal Alexandra Hospital/Kingsway Mall, and NAIT. The City’s next priority
is preliminary engineering of the Southeast to West LRT from Mill Woods to Lewis Farms, which is anticipated to be completed in 2013.
ULTIMATE LRT NETWORK
The long-term LRT Network Plan calls for extensions of the existing line north to Gorman and south to Heritage Valley. New lines include northwest to the city limits and east towards Sherwood Park. A Central Area LRT Circulator between Downtown and high-activity areas near the University of Alberta and Old Strathcona completes the plan.
For more info see the city of Edmonton website here.
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I love that the transit is so eco friendly! I’ll put up with the public transportation crowd any day to know I’m making a difference in the environment. I’ve been working really hard on my healthy living with diabetes, and I’m trying to make healthier lifestyle choices in all areas, including transportation. It helps that it looks so sleek too!