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SkyriseEdmonton's Getting to Know series seeks to introduce our readers to a host of city-builders, innovators, and urbanists, whose vision for the future includes the creation of cities as livable spaces for all.
Back in 2015, the Transit Department at Edmonton City Hall was in shambles. The long-delayed Metro LRT was years behind schedule and there had been no formal review of the network in over 20 years. In June, 2015, when Transit Manager Charlie Stolte was let go under circumstances that Mayor Don Iveson was reluctant to expand upon, the search for a new Transit Manager began. By July, the City had narrowed in on Halifax Transit Director Eddie Robar. The champion of Halifax's comparatively smaller network was then in the midst of a massive year's long review process, system-wide overhaul, and rebranding effort, which though not yet complete, had been more than enough to impress the powers that be. Robar's resignation and subsequent move across the country were completed by the end of that year.
Beginning in January, 2016, Robar's first year as Edmonton Transit Manager provided a sharp learning curve. For starters, the incoming Manager had arrived in a city and network that is roughly five times bigger than Halifax's, and the switch from ferries to LRT trains was something that Robar was keen to tackle head on. Robar was an instant fan of LRT, and the Transit Manager is proud to report that he takes a combination of LRT and bus to and from work every day. At first he wanted to gain a better knowledge of the system, but today he aims to keep in touch with the daily operation of the system — its ups and downs, successes and shortcomings — in an effort to stay connected to the issues facing the system on a regular basis.
Over the last 12 months, the first phase of the Metro Line LRT has opened for service, though problems continue to plague the three-stop extension, and trains are not currently able to travel at full speed through much of the route's 3.3 kilometres. Robar, backed by City Manager Linda Cochrane, has been quick to tackle the issues facing the new line's operation, with transit work crews working double-time to address the host of mechanical problems that have so far been troubling the Metro Line LRT. Meanwhile, while the bugs are being worked out on the Metro Line, construction of the 27-kilometre Valley Line LRT began in April 2016, and progress to has been relatively devoid of major issues, with the line to be completed by 2020.
Edmonton's new Transit Manager has a soft spot for buses, and the City recently entered into a pilot project that will test the feasibility of running electric buses in Edmonton. Additionally, Robar has been a key supporter of a move to bring the nearby St. Albert Regional Transit system into the Edmonton Transit System (ETS) via fare integration and other measures, which would facilitate a smoother ride and in and out the city proper from St. Albert. Add to this the recent rollout of a real-time bus-tracking app that customer's can download onto their smartphones, and Edmontonians today can consider themselves much better off transit-wise than they were prior to Robar's tenure. A genuine transit enthusiast and daily rider, Robar has brought a mix of practical solutions and innovative approaches to the ETS, taking the long-beleagured transit network on a path towards a much brighter future.
SkyriseEdmonton will return soon with another edition of Getting to Know. Got an idea for our new series? Let us know!
