IanO
Senior Member
We now have a station actually situated IN the river valley for folks to use and enjoy for recreation, skiing, Edmonton Queen, biking, events and Folkfest!
Valley Line LRT/ Valley Line West | ?m | ?s | City of Edmonton
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
thommyjo
Senior Member
Thanks everyone for sharing reviews for today. Fun to read. Here’s a few thoughts from my first ride with the wife and baby (& stroller).
We boarded at 102 stop. Decently busy around 3pm. Good to see! Lots of families and kids were on the train.
Getting my first ARC card went well and was simple. Tried to get a ticket for my wife, it charged us, but never dispensed a ticket haha. Security couldn’t help and wasn’t a way to get help, so we just jumped on.
(This made me think about how Vancouver has a strong transit volunteer team. I’m not sure exactly how it works, might be connected to universities or class credits somewhere. Not sure if they have incentives. But nonetheless, we need to pursue the same I think. The opening day of a line like this should see a clearly marked station volunteer/helper to answer all questions and to assist people throughout the day. A simple confusion can really sour someone’s experience, but a quick fix by a transit volunteer/staffer can turn that experience to an even more positive one than if nothing had even happened!)
ARC machines also seem to have plastic wrap on them still? What’s that about… haha. So tacky for day 1 to not be bothered to unwrap the new machines. Air bubbles and partially removed plastic made them look rougher, not new and sleek.
Train experience was great. Level boarding with stroller was simple and easy. Nice to have clear bike/wheelchair areas marked.
Windows are amazing. Ride was quite smooth.
Audio for the pre recorded stuff was good, for the live driver though, the mic sounded like it was from the 90s. Just gain-y and overblown. That was a bit disappointing.
Stations were all nice. Muttart is beautiful. The hill to and from strathearn is a game changing view. Bridge, as we all know, gorgeous too.
Views of skyline from Davies were quite cool too.
Biggest critique from experience: the doors. When they close, if you’re in the doorway, they don’t softly bounce back open. They quite aggressively squeeze you and then jerk back open as if you’re breaking it. I experienced it myself and saw a handful of others get pushed by them as well. I fear they’ll break if people push too hard on them. I think the workaround is to ensure you push the door button when entering so it stays open and doesn’t start closing. But I was really surprised how aggressively they shut. Nothing like I’d felt on skytrain, ttc, tube, etc.
Overall, I’m so bullish on the line. I’m worried it’ll be overcrowded too quickly. Can’t wait for the west line too. The valley line as a whole will be transformational in so many ways.
Now just please city/EPS/ETS, etc….keep it CLEAN, SAFE, and MAINTAINED.
already one of the 102st shelters stunk of piss.
We boarded at 102 stop. Decently busy around 3pm. Good to see! Lots of families and kids were on the train.
Getting my first ARC card went well and was simple. Tried to get a ticket for my wife, it charged us, but never dispensed a ticket haha. Security couldn’t help and wasn’t a way to get help, so we just jumped on.
(This made me think about how Vancouver has a strong transit volunteer team. I’m not sure exactly how it works, might be connected to universities or class credits somewhere. Not sure if they have incentives. But nonetheless, we need to pursue the same I think. The opening day of a line like this should see a clearly marked station volunteer/helper to answer all questions and to assist people throughout the day. A simple confusion can really sour someone’s experience, but a quick fix by a transit volunteer/staffer can turn that experience to an even more positive one than if nothing had even happened!)
ARC machines also seem to have plastic wrap on them still? What’s that about… haha. So tacky for day 1 to not be bothered to unwrap the new machines. Air bubbles and partially removed plastic made them look rougher, not new and sleek.
Train experience was great. Level boarding with stroller was simple and easy. Nice to have clear bike/wheelchair areas marked.
Windows are amazing. Ride was quite smooth.
Audio for the pre recorded stuff was good, for the live driver though, the mic sounded like it was from the 90s. Just gain-y and overblown. That was a bit disappointing.
Stations were all nice. Muttart is beautiful. The hill to and from strathearn is a game changing view. Bridge, as we all know, gorgeous too.
Views of skyline from Davies were quite cool too.
Biggest critique from experience: the doors. When they close, if you’re in the doorway, they don’t softly bounce back open. They quite aggressively squeeze you and then jerk back open as if you’re breaking it. I experienced it myself and saw a handful of others get pushed by them as well. I fear they’ll break if people push too hard on them. I think the workaround is to ensure you push the door button when entering so it stays open and doesn’t start closing. But I was really surprised how aggressively they shut. Nothing like I’d felt on skytrain, ttc, tube, etc.
Overall, I’m so bullish on the line. I’m worried it’ll be overcrowded too quickly. Can’t wait for the west line too. The valley line as a whole will be transformational in so many ways.
Now just please city/EPS/ETS, etc….keep it CLEAN, SAFE, and MAINTAINED.
already one of the 102st shelters stunk of piss.
Gronk!
Senior Member
An emotional blog from our future mayor
www.ashleysalvador.com
Valley Line Southeast Opening Day!
I am feeling immense joy and optimism about our City after spending the day riding around on the new Valley Line Southeast LRT. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep and 4am wake up, but today was an emotional one. The hope and positivity shared with me by riders was uplifting and a highlight of my term.
www.ashleysalvador.com
JuliallThat
Active Member
I didn't take the train until like noon, no way I was gonna wake up at 5am like all y'all hooligans.An emotional blog from our future mayor
Valley Line Southeast Opening Day!
I am feeling immense joy and optimism about our City after spending the day riding around on the new Valley Line Southeast LRT. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep and 4am wake up, but today was an emotional one. The hope and positivity shared with me by riders was uplifting and a highlight of my term.
But Ashley was still on the train at that point, gave me and my partner commemorative pins and we talked for a few minutes, she said she'd been riding it all morning since it opened lol.
Some say she's still out there, riding the rails just like the pioneers did.
She really is great though, glad to once in my life feel like I have a representative who's really working on the things I care about.
Kosy123
Active Member
Same here! I got on round noon and she was powering through (Don “damn I forgot he’s tall” Iveson also was there too so that was wild to see.
The_Cat
Senior Member
I wonder how many people were downtown for the first time in ages today.
Barnaby
Active Member
I started the day planning to just take the train to see. I went with my brother with a coffee, we checked out MWTS, he showed me the library that he works at sometimes as an electrician. A friend asked if I wanted to go to the Oilers game, so we did. I took the train along with many other fans, workers, shoppers, etc. I write this from the Valley Line between Bonnie Doon and Davies station on my return home.
Kosy123
Active Member
I’d argue a large chunk tbh.
I’m personally excited by how this just makes downtown more “approachable” by people from Millwoods/Southeast. The belt of industrial areas and the Whitemud around it make it feel super isolated from the core. I’d like to think this train line breaks a psychological barrier of sorts. It opens downtown up to the immigrant population and new families that end up in Millwoods.
I for one look forward to the day when I go to City Centre mall and find a couple of old Sikh grandpas with their turbans just sitting and wandering around in the mall or Churchill Square
(If you’re from the Southeast, you know how common that sight is at Millwoods)
fungus_eater
New Member
I thought the trains stopping at the lights would have bothered me more than I thought. But the trains have nice acceleration and feels appropriate in speed (not too fast but also not too slow). The doors feel aggressive though and close fast when ur trying to wait for ppl to get off the train lol. Don't like the door chimes, they are a bit too loud and I feel the piercing to my ears when ppl keep opening the doors repetitively while making that sound.
VLW is gonna be crazy bc there will be more "destinations" on this line instead of mostly residential streets and suburbs
8/10
VLW is gonna be crazy bc there will be more "destinations" on this line instead of mostly residential streets and suburbs
8/10
MacLac
Senior Member
Gantry crane is on the move!!!
erudyk_29
Active Member
Some shots from opening day!
J_gordo
Active Member
It will be interesting to see how they lift the misericordia segments
Barnaby
Active Member
So what is the plan to get it back to WEM after the east portions of the guideway are erected?
MacLac
Senior Member
That's what I was thinking exactly. Strange how they started in the "middle" of the guideway.....I'm not an Engineer...what do I know....
Barnaby
Active Member
It can probably just be walked, but I'm not familiar enough with this form of construction. I do really like it though, and I wouldn't mind revisiting some portions of planned areas with this construction method in mind. Especially since Marigold is going to be very efficient at it as they near the end of this project.