Valley Line LRT/ Valley Line West | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton

Although as the park n ride becomes busier and busier I have no doubt some businesses may try to move in next door to take advantage of that many possible customers nearby. I have no doubt that's why the shell station to the south and the a&w, Starbucks, booster juice, Edo and the announced phase 2 to the north have recently opened.
 
TAS said:
Rightly or wrongly, at this early stage of this line I'm putting my trust in the public transportation and design experts who say the crashes are growing pains during the testing phase and not inconsistent in this standard design around the world.
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The same officials that have said the piers were done multiple times only to find more issues? Our experts aren't infallible.

Here is a good article about how while our system is low floor, it is different from a lot of other places in the world because of how it is integrated with our road network, which are not pedestrian oriented roads.
 
westcoastjos said:
The same officials that have said the piers were done multiple times only to find more issues? Our experts aren't infallible.

Here is a good article about how while our system is low floor, it is different from a lot of other places in the world because of how it is integrated with our road network, which are not pedestrian oriented roads.
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So do you think crossing arms should be installed at every or most intersections then to prevent possible collisions with pedestrians, bikes, vehicles or only at a few of the riskiest?
 
I imagine that the Industrial area on 75 Street might change to commercial/retail over time.
 
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TAS said:
So do you think crossing arms should be installed at every or most intersections then to prevent possible collisions with pedestrians, bikes, vehicles or only at a few of the riskiest?
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Yes, it would need to be a measured approach. Transed and the City would need to consider all the variables at play. Part of that article focuses on the size of the trains here versus other places in the world in addition to the trains traveling at higher speeds along certain corridors. That poses an increased risk for the greater number of people on the trains here and makes it harder for the train to stop quickly in emergency situations. In other places, the trains/trams travel at slower speeds with less people on board. The article quotes an official from Melbourne as saying the greatest risk in accidents with trains is people on board the trains. Why? They don't have seat belts, they are standing, etc.

Another variable is the complexity of intersections along the line. Where do drivers or pedestrians have difficult or complex interactions with their surroundings before a train is added into the mix? Whyte Ave/83 Ave is one, 75 Street, Argyll, are others. Pedestrians have to consider multiple factors, multiple lanes of traffic and drivers face similar factors. In downtown, there is less risk because of the speed of the train, speed of traffic, amount of lights and the reduction in lanes of traffic for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists.

The big question for me is whether drivers will actually improve their driving habits? I would argue not; accidents will continue to occur, because humans get distracted, have little patience, drive in poor conditions, make poor choices, etc. While total crashes have declined in Edmonton since 2015, there have been various policy changes in that time span including the vision zero campaign, reducing the speed limit, school zone restrictions, etc. Adding crossing arms at certain intersections, whether it is at most or a smaller number of intersections based on data and current design(s), would be a policy choice the City makes to help reduce crashes because it eliminates or at least reduces the chance a driver or pedestrian makes a poor choice.

It is idealistic to assume that people will adjust fully over time. While that sentiment does have some merit, it can't account for all the other variables where accidents occur. If the City and we as the community are able to accept the increased risk, then so be it, but we must acknowledge that certain parts of our line have a greater risk than low floor lines in other parts of the world.
 
TAS said:
So do you think crossing arms should be installed at every or most intersections then to prevent possible collisions with pedestrians, bikes, vehicles or only at a few of the riskiest?
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Just key intersections, as I've said, where traffic volume is high and the train crosses traffic lanes in an odd way. At 28 Avenue it cuts across multiple lanes at an angle, so gates are going to be needed there. At 82 Avenue it not only crosses a major east-west artery but does so while simultaneously changing sides from the centre of the traffic lanes to the west side of the road. And the line will cross traffic lanes from the centre to the north side along Stony Plain Road in Glenora (around 139 St).

The City made a HUGE mistake in not elevating the line at 82 Avenue, and that intersection is going to be a problem for years. But as usual the Transportation department and City Council went for an el cheapo approach as if they hadn't learned a thing from the Metro Line Kingsway/NAIT debacle. They saved by keeping the line at grade but we're already seeing accidents in the area and the train isn't even running regular operations. Seems to me crossing gates are a small price to pay after such a major screwup.
 
The_Cat said:
Looks like the video shows the LRT slowing down at intersections (I'm guessing 30 km/h). I think this is a fair safety compromise.
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The problem is that this line isn't supposed to be a sightseeing tram, it's supposed to be a rapid transit line connecting the southeast with the city core. I asked the City multiple times how this project was superior to a bus if the vehicles aren't going to move much faster than the flow of traffic and have to stop for red lights in multiple places. I could never get a straight answer.

The current LRT works as mass transit because it has a separate corridor and has signal priority. Remember, we're not trying to get bus riders onto trains--we're trying to get drivers out of cars and onto trains. This won't happen unless travel times are superior and the train is (relatively) immune to traffic delays.
 
thommyjo said:
4 dots down. 4 to go. Love the creative spacing on this timeline to make the first 4 dots feel like bigger progress haha.

What are we, 98.7% complete vs 97.3 this time last year?
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Wherever we are at in terms of percentage, we're still years away from the line actually opening...

Call me a cynic, but that's how it seems. Even Metrolinx in the GTA apparently has no idea when Eglinton Crosstown (Line 5) will finally open for revenue service.
 
Gronk! said:
edmonton.ctvnews.ca

Area businesses not sure what to expect with impending Stony Plain Road closure

Shops along the Valley Line West LRT route said they've been doing OK since the Stony Plain Road Bridge was demolished in December, but they're worried about the next steps in the redevelopment.
edmonton.ctvnews.ca edmonton.ctvnews.ca
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This is a huge issue with major Canadian public transit projects. Remember what happened on Cambie Street in Vancouver with the construction of the Canada Line, which was cut-and-cover in the area instead of being tunneled, so there was massive disruption. If I recall correctly a number of business owners successfully sued. Now we're seeing similar complaints and concerns from businesses along Broadway during the Arbutus SkyTrain extension (which is an interesting hybrid: tunneled most of the way but cut-and-cover at the stations).
 
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