Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Edmonton

[The_Cat]

Bus lanes and priority signals are affordable, even with the fiscal challenges.

 

[ChazYEG]

The bus lane elements in the Future Base Scenario include:
● Peak direction bus lanes on 97 Street between 118 Avenue and Yellowhead, SB from135 to 125, and NB at 137 into Northgate TC. There is also a peak direction laner eversal south of Yellowhead Trail. (Used by BNR routes and by B1 in options A and B)
● A combination of NB bus lanes on 109 Street operating in peaks and all day. (Used byBNR routes)● Bus lanes on Fox Drive and connecting through to South Campus. (used by BNRroutes, the SWBRT in the base scenario, and B2 and B6 in Options A and B)
● Peak period bus lanes on Jasper Avenue between ~120 Street and ~110 Street.
● Bus lanes on Whitemud and Terwillegar Drive between Fox Drive and Windermere Blvd(used by the SWBRT in the base scenario and by B6 in Options A and B).
● Several dedicated bus lanes on various downtown blocks – because of high volumes of buses stopping – and at approaches to various transit centres around the city.
These elements are the starting point for Options A and B. Both options include:
● Peak direction, peak period lanes extended on 97 Street to Eaux Claires TC, converted from existing lanes;
● Bus lanes added to 153 Avenue from just east of 97 Street to Castle Downs;
● NB bus lane converted from an existing lane on Gateway Boulevard, from 23 Avenue to63 Avenue;
● SB bus lane conversion on Calgary Trail from 63 Avenue to 23 Avenue;
● Peak direction, peak period bus lane on 82 (Whyte) Avenue from 99 Street to 112Street;
● Peak direction, peak period bus lane on Whitemud from 159 Street to Fox Drive; and
● Peak direction, peak period bus lane on 23 Avenue from Calgary Trail to 111 Street.Bus lanes tested in the model generally assumed reallocation of existing street space rather than widening.

Some good stuff, some half baked efforts.
I'm in favor of:
- All day bus lanes on 97, from 111 Ave to Northgate TC, both way.
- All day, both ways, bus lanes on 109 at from Kingsway to Jasper Ave, SB from 87 Ave to 63 Ave and NB from 63 Ave to 83 ave.
- Both ways bus lanes, all day, 23rd Ave from MWTC to Century Park TC.

Other than that, the rest of these are mostly good, or as good as possible with minimal expenditure

 

[trevorhayden]

Isn't there a refined recommendations list coming after last year's mass transit engagement?

 

[The_Cat]

This page might be of interest: https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/defau...ardReport-Phase2-Engagement.pdf?cb=1709510663

 

[IanO]

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[ChazYEG]

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I would vote for a mix of both.
Centre bus lanes with heated stations and wider sidewalks, no turning lanes and no parking lanes.

As for their concerns over the loss of a turning lanes in the material: there's one easy way to prevent accidents and delays: NO MORE LEFT TURNS ON WHYTE. It's impressive (and frustrating) how it doesn't seem to cross their minds.

 

[The_Cat]

I'm not sure if either option would work for the segment from Gateway (103) to 105 Street, given the parallel parking and sidewalk cafes.. I do think though, that priority signals there would be effective.

 

[The Woodruff]

With the wider sidewalks wouldn't that help with the sidewalk cafes? And I thought part of the plan was to remove parallel parking on Whyte?

 

[The_Cat]

I think parallel parking should be removed from this part of Whyte Avenue.

 

[ChazYEG]

I'm not sure if either option would work for the segment from Gateway (103) to 105 Street, given the parallel parking and sidewalk cafes.. I do think though, that priority signals there would be effective.

The idea should be get rid of the parallel parking in this stretch of Whyte, get wider sidewalks and prioritized transit.

 

[IanO]

I think parallel parking should be removed from this part of Whyte Avenue.

How about angled, 1 lane each way with a turn and BRT?

 

[ChazYEG]

How about angled, 1 lane each way with a turn and BRT?

How about wider sidewalks, no parking, NO BLOODY TURNING LANES (and no left turns altogether) and BRT?
What's it with the turning lane fetish? I've been asking this here for the past 5 years, no one has ever come up with an answer.

 

[Gronk!]

How about wider sidewalks, no parking, NO BLOODY TURNING LANES (and no left turns altogether) and BRT?
What's it with the turning lane fetish? I've been asking this here for the past 5 years, no one has ever come up with an answer.

What's with your mad hate of turning lanes?

 

[IanO]

How about wider sidewalks, no parking, NO BLOODY TURNING LANES (and no left turns altogether) and BRT?
What's it with the turning lane fetish? I've been asking this here for the past 5 years, no one has ever come up with an answer.

It's still a major arterial and until other options are improved, like say 76 Avenue over CP, this will need to have options.

Even streets like Robson, Bloor and St. Denis have turning lanes during most of the year.

Summer changes make sense, but Edmonton's climate, density and desire simply do not warrant much of this year-round.

 

[ChazYEG]

It's still a major arterial and until other options are improved, like say 76 Avenue over CP, this will need to have options.

Yet another reason for not having turning lanes. Left turns disrupt traffic flow, create more conflict points and are overall worse by all accounts.

The only rationale for left turns is sheer laziness to drive around a block. If anything, doing away with them could benefit potential businesses on side roads, as it increases visibility for them, all while improving flow for through traffic.

There's absolutely NO REASONABLE RATIONALE for left turns anywhere. 90% of the planet lives doesn't have them for a reason. This is an almost exclusively North American thing (not sure about Australia and Nee Zealand).