The_Cat
Senior Member
I think something like this (Toronto subway map) would be a great layout for bus connections with LRT::
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87 Avenue Transit Bridge
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
Avenuer
Senior Member
Yup...the LRT ship sailed when Mandel and company voted against the 87 Avenue alignment to WEM for the Valley Line and opted for the Stony Plain Road option.
thommyjo
Senior Member
I think the stony option reaches more people, so I think this is best. 87th ave BRT to uni, whyte, Bonnie would be great in the future though.
dunno
Active Member
Why does it have to be either or? I think both the Jasper Place/SPR route for Valley Line West and the alternate 87 Ave alignment would be tremendously useful. We need to realize that there are other major places people need to go to by transit besides downtown and plan for a more polycentric transit system. Having a line that connects WEM, the University, Whyte Ave, and Bonnie Doon directly, while creating a bypass of downtown to connect to Mill Woods, Southgate, etc would be useful for many transit riders. I'm fine with it starting as BRT, but I do think LRT should be a long-term goal.
thommyjo
Senior Member
Totally agree. I think the ROI is best to start with stony. Then the 87th is an important future connection. If we only had 3bil to spend, or whatever the budget for west is, I think this is a good move. The bridge for 87th would be enormously expensive. Doing stony first will build demand and adoption so 87th becomes a relief to overcrowding later.
yeggator
Active Member
Future Edmonton LRT - Google My Maps
Moved regional rail lines to separate document. This map now includes light rail and the gondola.
www.google.com
I have compiled your ideas into this transit map. Also, someone mentioned an LRT expansion to Windermere. Here you are. Do y'all think Laurier Heights would be more open to LRT through their neighbourhood if it was low-floor urban LRT?
Kaizen
Senior Member
^ Most excellent, thank you @yeggator. Low-floor urban though Laurier Heights is the way to go in my mind and should be more welcomed by the neighborhood, especially if the Valley Line sets a good precedent. I love love love the Energy Line set-up. I will study it all in more detail soon. Thanks again!
archited
Senior Member
I would rather see 76th Ave opened up as an alternate route to Whyte Avenue...
Foolworm
Active Member
I'm very skeptical about this bridge. It is insanely hard to get anything in the river valley, and I just can't imagine another vehicle crossing built that's not a replacement of an existing one.
I suppose this proposed structure could theoretically replace the Hawreluk footbridge, but then punching a road through Buena Vista park? Civil wars have been fought over far less.
I suppose this proposed structure could theoretically replace the Hawreluk footbridge, but then punching a road through Buena Vista park? Civil wars have been fought over far less.
thommyjo
Senior Member
True. But same as what I say to gondola opponents, its the least invasive option. Putting a 4-6 lane road for cars is the alternative to a transit bridge. When we hit 1.7mil, we'll need projects like this to start moving
The_Cat
Senior Member
If Edmonton averages 2% annual population growth like it did during the boom times, that's 200,000 people in 10 years, plus another 100,000 in Metro Edmonton. With the Valley Line going west, how many high density projects will go ahead? I'm guessing Meadowlark Mall will consider high density projects like Bonnie Doon. Also, West Edmonton Mall will likely do the same. An intermediate step is having high frequency transit service from WEM to Strathcona and University, but long-term solutions need to be considered.
Airboy
Senior Member
I agree for a number of reasons. This was already proposed a number of years ago and yes the uproar was spectacular. Plus looking closely at the alignment, you are punching a hole through one of the more unstable banks in the valley. Just have to take a quick trip on Machete or Raven to see that.