Comments on: Airport Transit

By: Don Iveson :: Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 5

Don Iveson :: Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 5 — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:02:52 +0000

[...] follows up from a previous post of mine from last fall. Yesterday Council’s Transportation and Public Works Committee received this report and [...]

By: Start offering bus service to EIA from Century Park! at MasterMaq's Blog

Start offering bus service to EIA from Century Park! at MasterMaq's Blog — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:01:38 +0000

[...] The Transportation and Public Works Committee will be discussing the issue of transit service to Edmonton International Airport (EIA) today. Let me start by saying that I would certainly take a bus to the airport from Century Park if it existed, and that I think public transit to the airport is extremely important. Or as Councillor Don Iveson said so well: [...]

By: Peter Nietresta

Peter Nietresta — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:32:21 +0000

Great work on this issue Don! While I personally would be willing to pay a bit more for effective transit to the airport, it would be good to price it so that even families would find it a no brainer to use the cost effective and efficient service. While I agree that a regional approach is good, we have to ensure that the service is non-stop. If Nisku and Leduc wish to have this service to extend to their municipalities then perhaps every second bus could go there after it goes to the airport or have a connection for those areas at the airport. Having this service would make the decision to give up my car an easier one to make!

By: Lincoln Ho

Lincoln Ho — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:28:47 +0000

Given the distance and the type of ‘premium’ service this is, without a bus pass, I think a $5 ride to the airport is not unreasonable.

By: David Dodge

David Dodge — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:33:37 +0000

Don, keep up the work on this. I think the City could easily brand this service somehow and charge $10 return with very little effect on use. Perhaps good transit service that ties to the LRT will help rationalize the cab situation in time. In Ottawa you can catch a bus outside of your downtown hotel and go right to the airport. It’s quite civilized really.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:26:07 +0000

The Sky Shuttle is so awful as a service that true public transit is a must in the short term. Implement it for April 2010 (or sooner).

By: Cod Father

Cod Father — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:45:41 +0000

It’s a long hard slog, but it will be totally worth it to have a transit bus of some kind with some known regular frequency heading out to YEG. It is long over due.

By: Kiri

Kiri — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:23:36 +0000

Neal,

Based on the first report (which I read last night, but isn’t available today) the analysis indicated that even with the $2.50 fare, cost recovery would be possible, and even likely, with relatively low participation rates.

It was that fact that prompted my question. Why not strive for a transit service that not only covers its own costs, but helps offset costs of other, less profitable arms of ETS.

By: Neal

Neal — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:11:12 +0000

In response to Kiri, I would suggest that virtually all public transit systems are “loss leaders” for their given municipalities and running this project any differently would require a far higher fair than a mere doubling. Transit, like many important public services, should not be looked at a cash cow. If there was a profit generating business model for this needed service, the private sector would have already moved in and gladly taken up the proceeds. That this has not happened shows that the City can rightly expect this project to come at a cost. However that does not mean that we should not have this service, it would be a valuable addition to our City. I encourage Mr. Iveson and all councillors to expedite getting this service asap.

By: None

None — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:54:58 +0000

FYI: The link to the first report (Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board ) is not working.