In a city the size of Edmonton this would mean it could take longer to take a train from the west end then it would to drive a car in rush hour.

Please keep this in mind when decided where the trains should stop (whether they’re high or low floor).

That said, for all the grumbling and naysaying from the nimbys there, perhaps WLRT should be put on the shelf and SELRT brought to the forefront. I have an inkling those folks may appreciate it more…

I do not have a preference for the above mentioned routes as I think that all of them have equivalent positives & negatives.

It ultimately comes down to what you are using transportation for. If you want it to be a tool that will hopefully spur redevelopment along commercial arterial roads, then SPR works. But at the cost of speed and timesaving. What you loose with this model is an effective mode of transportation that connects supply/demand locations, as well as the generic commuter (suburban or established neighbourhood).

Like I said, the redevelopment opportunities still exist along the 87th street route (Meadowlark, across from the Miz, etc.), and you gain the advantage of a speedy and competitive service.

I like the theory of the SPR route, but I really don’t think the demand is there based on the absorption rates of infill land in Edmonton, and the huge supply and target areas we have: (Downtown, warehouse district, oliver, the quarters, north edge, Strathern redevelopment, City Centre Airport Lands, etc.) I want to believe it can be a catalyst of sorts for the SPR areas, but I think we loose something valuable by not choosing the 87th route. Hey, who knows, 50 years from now they both might be built based on the demand?

I do, however, share his concerns about the limited benefits of putting LRT on 107th Avenue. It creates a huge gap between 156th and 124th Streets where few redevelopment opportunities exist.

Instead of worrying LRT will create impacts, we should be trying to make transit as impactful as possible. Stony Plain Road bisects my community, and I’ll be grumpy during construction, but the status quo isn’t working. Use 107th Avenue, where few people live, for cars, and put LRT in the heart where redevelopment opportunities abound.

I’d also like to applaud Dave’s comments about your accessibility and dedication to transparent decision-making processes. Even politicians deserve the occasional pat on the back! :)

I’m not very familiar with the low-floor trains. Are they a certainty for the SPR route, or only a new option? While I understand the benefits of more frequent stops and simpler loading zones vs stations, do they pose greater or lesser issues with traffic integration? Also, would they substantially increase the travel times?

Thanks for your thoughts.

The problem with 107th is exactly what you identified as your rejection for the 87th street alignment. Sure it isn’t the fastest route, but the curb-side opportunity for redevelopment you identify isn’t there. What is there is a major arterial road, fronted by the rear lane ways of mid-century residential developments. I would actually argue that a 107th street option takes the worst of both SPR and 87th, and combines them into a nice, low-political disruption, inexpensive route, which would take the longest route possible ironically. Granted, you do mentioned the largest opportunity being North Edge, but I think that is something that will develop – given time – with or without LRT access for proximity sake alone. That being said, if you believe in the frequent stop concept of low-floor LRT for the sake of redevelopment, then SPR is the route that fits.

I’m still behind a high-floor 87th route because I believe the ridership draw is housed in the potential hubs of Lewis Estates, WEM, and Medowlark, while offering redevelopment opportunities across from the Miz, at Medowlark and a community station (similar to Belgravia) around 145th. While giving quick access to the large catchment areas of the University and downtown. I think the selling feature here – and potential for the west route – is speed, not coffee shops on retail-fronted streets, which could be better served by a streetcar system then that of an LRT. But just my 2 cents.

Thanks for your transparency through this blog and your twitter updates. It’s refreshing and welcomed to saying the least.

That said, pick the best route for the job.