Posts Tagged ‘ward issues’

EcoMobility in Edmonton: ICLEI Day Three

Jun
17
2009

More than 30 delegates from around the globe assembled to take the LRT south to our newest station at South Campus for a field trip to see the Local Motion EcoMobility pilot project in Parkallen. By the way, EcoMobility means encouraging walking, wheeling, cycling and transit.

The city is partnering with Transport Canada and the Global Alliance for EcoMobility to work with the neighbourhood to put in place conditions to better enable residents to try alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle for the month of June, and hopefully beyond.

More than 100 households have signed up to take the Local Motion challenge to reduce their car use, and the project is measuring their behaviour and perception changes. Delegates had a chance to meet some of the community leaders and tour the neighbourhood. They also heard about the philosophy behind all this in the community’s words, which not only value environmental objectives, but positive social and and health outcomes as well.

We’re also documenting the project on film as well, and some short clips are already available.

Parkallen was selected from thirteen enthusiastic applications, which bodes very well for taking this concept further. To my mind, the great strengths of this project are the interdisciplinary cooperation from the city staff (including Transit, Transportation Planning, Community Services and the Environment and Energy Branch) and, more importantly, there is bottom-up leadership coming from the community, starting with the community league, but also including the elementary school administration andparents’ council and a number of local businesses.

I participated in the launch of the Global Alliance for EcoMobility in December of 2007 at the UN Climate Change Conference, and the idea for doing this specific project during the main ICLEI world congress was hatched over iced teas with the Secretary General of ICLEI at the USA conference in Albuquerque last May, so it’s a treat to see it ‘in motion.’

I think the delegates enjoyed the experience, which included lunch from Parkallen Restaurant, the Lebanese fixture on 109 St and near 70 Ave. There was also an option to take a guided bike tour on our bike routes and through the river valley to get back downtown, and I understand most did and enjoyed it very much. I had to train it back downtown for a meeting.

Oh, and Sarah wrote about her visit to the cycling cities session yesterday.

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Posted in 2007-2010 Term, Environment, Smarter Planning, Transit | No Comments »

Big City LRT

Apr
25
2009

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I think my face is swollen from smiling. Attending the opening of these two new LRT stations today was truly a highlight of my time on council thus far.

The decision to build it was made by the previous council, and I commend former Cllrs Phair, Melnychuk, Nickel and Cavanaugh (and the returning mayor and councillors, of course) for their vision. I can only take a small measure of satisfaction from fighting successfully to have this extension open on time.

ETS officials I spoke with figure that several thousand Edmontonians turned up on the free train service, and I, like many, took a ride the full length of the line. I had and overheard many conversations about how positive this is for our city. Smiling citizens are a great thing to see as a councillor.

It was inspiring to see so many citizens turn out to see the new station and the ETS’ Community Fair displays. A highlight was a young man who said of the ETS Platinum: “Mom, Mom! This bus is so cool!” His enthusiasm reminded me of my first ride on the LRT, which was in 1982 or so.

It was also nice to see such a heavy turnout of MLAs and MPs — from speaking with some I think they are comprehending that transit is incredibly important to Edmonton and its citizens, who are also their constituents of course.

One would hope that after seeing this level of public enthusiasm, we will finally see the kind of long-term commitments to transit infrastructure that Toronto and Vancouver have enjoyed for years from their provincial and federal representatives.

Finally, I should note that the improvements to bus service in the Southwest and from the West End to feed this LRT expansion are in my view as significant as the LRT line itself. In particular, the transit centre at Leger Park in Terwillegar opens tomorrow which will bring with it better service for most riders in the Southwest. Further improvement will follow in 2010 when the LRT gets to Southgate and Century Park.

We’re getting there.

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Posted in 2007-2010 Term, Transit | No Comments »

ETS: The Every Day Way

Apr
21
2009

april-430x2571Borrowing perhaps from the iconic “TTC: The Better Way“, ETS has a new catchphrase to help usher in a new era in public transit in our city.

 

I like how the tagline can be personalised, as it is with the image to the right. I’ve also seen ‘To save $5500 a year” on a giant pink bus – presumably versus car ownership.

For me it’s ‘To become a one-car household’ which is a goal for my family. 

Edmonton blogger and transit booster MasterMaq has some excellent comments on the marketing campaign as well here.

This weekend of course the first extension of the South LRT will open to South Campus. Information about changes in bus routing to feed the LRT can be found here.

I had an opportunity to take a preview ride on the extension yesterday with some officials from Alberta Environment, one of whom brought a guitar and sang a wonderful folky song with the refrain ‘Helluva time on the LRT line’ which had everyone clapping and smiling.

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Posted in 2007-2010 Term, Transit | 1 Comment »

Scona Pool Inquiry

Apr
20
2009

Councillor Anderson and I submitted a formal Administrative Inquiry this morning on the issues affecting the future of the pool as well as the proper process for dealing with a decision of this nature. We should receive it back to Council’s Community Services Committee in a few weeks.

The text is as follows:

Inquiry: Future of Scona Pool

1. Please provide a written report detailing the business case behind the recommendation to cease operation of Scona Pool. In doing so please confirm:

  • How the $80,000 in savings for 2009 closure was determined;
  • Attendance trends and comparatives with other Southside pools;
  • The gross and net financial projections for 2010 with continued operation;
  • Whether the pool owned by EPSB, and if so what are the details of the city’s lease or operating agreement?

2. If the pool is in fact EPSB owned, could the facility be leased and operated independent of the City of Edmonton?

3. Under what financial or operating scenarios might the city’s continued participation be justified?

4. Would the normal process for proposing closure of a city pool involve providing the answers to these kinds of questions in a report to Community Services Committee, and seeking permission to proceed on that basis?

5. If the best course of action is indeed to cease operations, please explain what steps will be taken to accommodate the user groups. Please identify these groups and what consultation has occurred with them and would occur as part of the relocation efforts.

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Posted in 2007-2010 Term, Parks & Recreation | 3 Comments »