Metro Line LRT | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton

archited said:
Again, a Capital cost versus Operational Cost equation! Should be easy to solve, but apparently not for the City "leaders".
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Especially with some that are in council who will always cheap out because they claim to be fiscally responsible. Oh and then there are the others that trust cuty administration 100% and don't question anything that administration says.
 
I think a solution which would probably be cheaper than building a new elevated Kingsway Station, is to have 111 Ave go below-grade between 108 Street and 105 Street with Kingsway, 106 Street, and the LRT all sharing a bridge over 111 Ave. 108 Street would provide a connection between Kingsway and 111.

It would be quite expensive, but it would solve not only congestion from LRTs, but also from the intersection of Kingsway/106/111. Also pedestrians going from Kingsway station to the mall would only have to cross 106 Street and wouldn’t have to worry about crossing 111 Ave at grade.
 
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@chrisvazquez7 That’s an interesting solution, but how would that possibly be less expensive than just elevating the LRT tracks? Also, I think for an inner city area like this, it’s going to be important to avoid grade separations of really big roads like 11th, as they tend to create large “dead zones” and overall lower the quality of areas, whereas you can see in Vancouver how the elevated concrete guideways for the trains interstate with the area just fine.
 
Replacing Kingsway Station with a new elevated station would be a logistical nightmare if you kept the line open during construction. Even if you close the line and demolish and rebuild, I imagine it would be quite expensive. Also, grade separating the LRT would only solve half the problem of congestion at that intersection. 111 Ave is an important cross-town route and is almost part of an inner-inner ring road... I know it's not ideal, but I think it's better than disrupting LRT service by building a new elevated station.

And as far as the dead zone argument, I think if you do it carefully (not just a bridge, but a tunnel similar to 97 Ave under the legislature), it would provide a much more pedestrian friendly environment to get from Kingsway Station to the mall. (You would only have to cross 4 lanes of 106 Street vs 7 lanes of 111 Ave).
 
About the only concern I have is that it's about 130 metres from 108 Street to Kingsway, and about 100 m from 105 Street to the LRT tracks. It would be a steep grade. I wonder if bridges over Kingsway and 106 Street would work better. Also, Kingsway could be extended to include the LRT crossing. In fact, I wonder if a tunnel along Kingsway (from 104 Street to Kingsway, keeping the Kingsway Road, with a left turn at 111 Avenue, and access to 106 Street) could work. For those who drove the Trans-Canada in Vancouver in the 1980's or earlier, it would be something like the tunnel under Kassian Street (crossing Hastings).
 
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The Metro Line extension from NAIT into Blatchford has started construction. This includes hard surface and removal of unsuitable materials, site grading, reconfiguration of 109 Street and the Jefferson Armoury parking lot, and installation of underground utilities.

Alstom Transport Canada Inc. has been retained to complete the detailed design and installation of an alternative signalling plan to replace the Thales signalling system. The material procurement is complete. The design work, and hardware and software installation are being finalized, and system testing is ongoing. Transition to the replacement signalling system is currently scheduled for Q1 2021.
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From the LRT Network Expansion and Renewal Update going to Executive Committee on November 9.

LRT Network Expansion and Renewal Update - Executive Committee - November 09, 2020

pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com
(Item 6.22)
 
I hope that the city does the same thing Calgary did when they got their new SD-200s and let us choose from at least 3 different train designs 😌 Do we know yet if the city plans on ordering new trains for this extension?


Edit: Nevermind, the LRT Expansion form answered my question 😛
 
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BLESS THE NEW SIGNALS. this will realllllly help the whole system operate better, hopefully improve traffic light cycles too. the bizarre 3-car-train-to-NAIT-then-5-minutes-then-5-cars-then-ten-minutes thing needs to become a historical ETS trivia fact the only Citizen Dane knows STAT. i never understood why the cycle started with the shorter train. it will be lovely to see the frequency improve and scheduling get more logical!
 
Description: Construct FOUNDATION ONLY Blatchford Gate Utility Complex LRT in ROW
Permit date: November 17, 2020
Type: Building Permit
Subtype: (04) Footing & Foundation
Category: Commercial Final
Class: Utility Buildings (480)
Status: Issued
Address: 101 - AIRPORT ROAD NW
Neighbourhood: BLATCHFORD AREA
Zoning: MA2, MA, MA3, MA2, MA3, MA2, MA, US, MA2, PU, BRH, BLMR, BLMR, BRH, BLMR, MA, PU, BRH, BP, BLMR, BLMR, MA1, UI
Value: $14,999.00
 
Daveography said:
Description: Construct FOUNDATION ONLY Blatchford Gate Utility Complex LRT in ROW
Permit date: November 17, 2020
Type: Building Permit
Subtype: (04) Footing & Foundation
Category: Commercial Final
Class: Utility Buildings (480)
Status: Issued
Address: 101 - AIRPORT ROAD NW
Neighbourhood: BLATCHFORD AREA
Zoning: MA2, MA, MA3, MA2, MA3, MA2, MA, US, MA2, PU, BRH, BLMR, BLMR, BRH, BLMR, MA, PU, BRH, BP, BLMR, BLMR, MA1, UI
Value: $14,999.00
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Saw the plans for Blatchford Gate and NAIT/Blatchford Market stations and they look good, same design as the renderings we've seen a while back.
 
I agree - ALL pedestrian traffic should be via overpasses or underpasses with elevator access ....that will remove considerable vehicular delays at Kingsway at the RAH and dare I say, a more economical way to resolve the problem. This comment in regards to posts on the clusterfk that the City created on the route near RAH and for that matter NAIT and Kingsway.
 
@EdmTrekker I'm not sure how making crossing the street less convenient for people not in cars resolves or improves anything. Last I checked, people crossing the street aren't the source of the issues at this or any other intersection.
 
@IanO I get that it isn't spectacular but why is it "utterly embarrassing"?

Besides the 20-minute frequency of course.
 
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