Edmonton International Airport (EIA/YEG)

[ChazYEG]

Exactly how would the link work? What would be the cost to the city considering we only just have enough money to cover current services?Once an hour? A city bus with 30-40 passengers or a van? If you are travelling in a group far better to hire a cab especially if you are on a business expense. Where exactly would the bus drop you off? Churchill square? Then what you have to do is get to your hotel. How much demand on a day to day basis be? Probably run empty most of the time is my guess.

I don't think a 40 seat coach bus running an express line between YEG to, let's say ICE district, with a stop at the U of A, wouldn't see demand. YEG flies on average 20k passengers every day, I find it hard to believe that we couldn't get 240-300 people to ride it each way every day.

For reference, 3 companies run almost hourly (with two different stops within the city) buses between YYZ and London, a city about 1/4 the size of Edmonton Metro, with most of these buses being at least 70% occupancy, from what I have experienced.

There's a different perception between riding a $15-20 coach bus with comfortable seats and space for as much luggage as you can carry on a plane, directly to the places where most people would be going to. It is not the same as taking an uncomfortable city bus and then having to haul stuff around through a transit centre so you can hop on the LRT.

 

[The_Cat]

I think Edmonton would do well with multiple transportation options to the International Airport. What percentage of travellers go to visit West Edmonton Mall or Rogers Place? What about summer festivals? What about academics and students? Are they staying in hotels or AirBNBs?

With the growth of Edmonton and Leduc, LRT is becoming a greater possibility. Bus service is becoming more established with service from Leduc and the International Airport. If we build clientele, this will become a reality, especially with an LRT network that has over 50 stops.

 

[Gronk!]

I reckon that a good chunk of tourists are attending hockey games and concerts at Rogers Place, or checking out summer festivals such as the Taste of Edmonton and The Fringe, or attending events such as the hydrogen convention at the Edmonton Convention Centre or the Edmonton Expo at the Expo Centre. Thus it makes sense to have lots of hotel space downtown c/w LRT access (which is coming soon to WEM). But is there enough downtown hotel space? You have the Hotel Mac, Courtyard, Westin, Chateau Lacombe, Sandman, JW, Delta, Matrix, Holiday Inn Express, APA (currently u/c), Comfort Inn, Days Inn and Hyatt - but that's it, really.

 

[MakeYEGGreatAgain]

^For a city or metro of 1.7 million, Edmonton has very little hotel capacity downtown. Never mind that most of the stock is also pretty old and dated.

 

[TAS]

^For a city or metro of 1.7 million, Edmonton has very little hotel capacity downtown. Never mind that most of the stock is also pretty old and dated.

I don't think too much dt hotel space has been added in the past 25 years despite the city growing from 640,000 in 2000 to nearly double that now.

Lots of growth in accommodation in other areas though along outer edges.

 

[Gronk!]

There's a chain of hotels along Gateway Blvd and another chain of hotels along Stony Plain Rd west of 170 St.

Downtown needs more hotels:

• Tower 101 site
• SE corner of 101 St/104 Ave
• 100 Ave/102 St
• 2 more near the convention centre
• 1 or 2 on the 104 St promenade
• Ice District phase 2
• another 1 on 105 St north of Jasper Ave
• 1 or 2 near O'day-min Park
• 1 or 2 near MacEwan
• at least 2 more near the Legislature grounds

A few more hotels in Old Strathcona wouldn't hurt.

 

[The_Cat]

There are more hotels in Sherwood Park/Yellowhead Trail. I think a hotel around 107 Street/102 Avenue might work, given the proximity to the LRT, MacEwan and Norquest.