100 Street Funicular and Frederick G. Todd Lookout | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton | DIALOG

[chrisvazquez7]

Any news on opening date yet?

 

[Daveography]

@chrisvazquez7 Heard there will be a media tour coming up soon, hopefully I'll be able to be there. Official opening very shortly after that.

 

[Daveography]

Days before opening, concerns over funicular development arise
Less than a week before the funicular in Edmonton’s river valley is set to open, a number of workers are raising concerns over the project.

One of the issues raised is the location of the emergency stop button – the button is easily pushed and shuts the whole funicular down until staff can come reactivate it.

“We’re worried people might press the stop button to take a picture, saying ‘Oh look at that!’ hit the stop button, take a picture and realize you can’t go anywhere and then they call us,” An unidentified worker told CTV News.

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Edmonton said the button is a concern.

“We are looking at putting a clear cover over the emergency stop buttons to prevent them from being accidentally activated,” the statement said.

The statement said officials can monitor activity in the cab via closed circuit television, and will be able to communicate with people inside. There will be emergency stop buttons at each platform and inside the funicular.

“You would, I guess, rely on the common sense and good manners of people,” Councillor Scott McKeen said.

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/days-before-opening-concerns-over-funicular-development-arise-1.3706870

 

[Daveography]

Sounds like it will be officially opening this Saturday December 9. Not sure what time exactly at it seems like at this point an advance media tour is unlikely for some reason. Oh well, I'll see if I can be there for the opening nonetheless.

 

[Marcanadian]

Just released by the City:

Edmonton’s funicular project opens this weekend

December 8, 2017

The City of Edmonton showcases the singular Mechanized River Valley Access Project (featuring the new funicular) at a grand opening Saturday, December 9.

Mayor Don Iveson, our federal and provincial government funding partners, and other dignitaries will speak at an official ceremony and ribbon cutting:

Date: Saturday, December 9, 2017
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Mechanized River Valley Access Promontory
(south of the Hotel Macdonald - 10065 100 Street - see attached map)

The facility will open to the public at noon with hot beverages provided for visitors.

The Mechanized River Valley Access project creates an accessible connection between downtown and the river valley for people of all ages and abilities. The project is one of five initiatives funded by the River Valley Alliance and the provincial and federal governments to increase access to the river valley.

If anyone's able to go, please shoot some photos! I'd like to do a story on this for Monday.

 

[Daveography]

@Marcanadian Should be able to be there for that.

 

[Daveography]

Sneak peek:

 

[Daveography]

May have gotten another bit of a sneak peek ahead of opening. Shh!

 

[Daveography]

Grand opening part I

Hon. Members Amarjit Sohi & Randy Boissonnault

MLA Edmonton-Centre David Shepherd

Mayor Don Iveson, surrounded by Councillors Ben Henderson, Sarah Hamilton, and Scott McKeen

River Valley Alliance Executive Director Larry Wall

A representative of Austria-based Doppelmayr, which built the funicular, presents the Mayor and City with a traditional Austrian bell.

First ride down.

I got in on the next one.

"Turbulent" by Jill Anholt Studio is already proving popular

 

[Daveography]

Part II

The lookout is now named the "Frederick G. Todd Lookout" after the landscape architect who originally envisioned the river valley parks system stretching 48kms.

 

[Daveography]

'The river valley as it was meant to be': Edmonton opens long-awaited funicular

ALEX BOYD / METRO
Edmonton's new funicular opened to the public on Saturday, Dec. 9.

Edmonton's long-awaited funicular, a new urban landmark that will also link downtown with the river valley trails, opened to the public on Saturday.

Mayor Don Iveson cut the ribbon as part of a small ceremony Saturday morning.

“This has been a while in the making… it's great to see people out excited about their city, excited about the river valley,” said Iveson.

The $24-million project took just over two years from approval to opening day. The multi-tiered project consists of a mechanical tram-like vehicle that takes passengers from 100 Street, near the Hotel Macdonald, to a viewing platform overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. The surrounding area has also gotten a makeover, with a staircase, new landscaping and seating.

From there, a yet-to-be fully operational elevator takes people down to trail level, near the Low Level Bridge.

When the entire project is open, it will make a whole new section of river valley accessible to all.

Edmonton disability advocate Zachary Weeks called the opening "very exciting," noting that it hasn't always been easy for everyone to enjoy the river valley, one of the city's biggest draws.

"Personally I’m really looking forward to it, because it is just an opportunity for people who may be experiencing limited mobility to finally be able to enjoy the river valley as it was meant to be," he said.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...be-edmonton-opens-long-awaited-funicular.html

Edmonton launches $24-million river valley funicular

Politicians from the municipal, provincial and federal governments attended the grand opening for Edmonton's new funicular. (Zoe Todd/CBC)

Edmonton's new funicular launched Saturday, on time and on budget.

The $24-million project connects to a promenade and a raised lookout with an elevator on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River.

A stairway with built-in seating and a special path for runners opened parallel to the funicular track.

"All of the components, from the stairs to the promenade and the pedestrian bridge have been designed with both accessibility and beauty in mind," Mayor Don Iveson told roughly 100 people at the ribbon cutting.

Edmonton shared the cost of building the funicular with the provincial and federal governments. The city will now pay "a few hundred thousand dollars" annually to maintain the structure, Iveson said.

"We think it's worth the cost from a tourism and brand promotion point of view, from a health and wellness and recreation point of view and because Edmontonians love their river valley," he said.

"This is going to give them a whole new way to get in and out of it, especially from the busy downtown core."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...unch-river-valley-stairs-accessible-1.4441601

Edmonton’s river valley funicular opens to public, on time and on budget

 

[Daveography]

'Fun Funicular!': New music video celebrates Edmonton's newest installation
A trio of local musicians is singing the praises of Edmonton’s funicular that opened to the public last week.

Inspired by the new riverside landmark, Luke Ehrenholz, Jenesa MacMullin and Alexander MacMullin got together to make a song celebrating the “fun funicular,” and its view of the North Saskatchewan, accessibility and, of course, lack of stairs.

The video venue? The funicular’s glass box. Time limit? The less than a minute it takes it to travel from the viewing platform to the top, outside the Hotel Macdonald.

Luke, who some may remember from his viral video earlier this year about his apartment search, posted the end result to Facebook and as of Wednesday it had been viewed almost 6,000 times.

“We wanted to take the opportunity to try out this new thing and be the first to do something as musicians,” Luke told Metro.

“I had never even heard of anything called a funicular,” added Alexander, who performs with Jenesa as the Soap Box Duo. “It’s a bit like the Willy Wonka elevator because it goes sideways.”

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=135772803803636

 

[Daveography]

Rough videos I took of the Funicular and the Lookout.

 

[Daveography]

Model still on display in DIALOG's office.

 

[Kaizen]

I still haven't toured this site, hopefully soon. I think it's a great addition to the big E. Shame about the vandalism and some mechanical issues, but that can improve.