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ETS Bus and General Transit Improvements

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Ya hear that CoE? Let’s increase 747 frequency!
 
Blizzard said:
ETS would really like to increase frequency of Route 747. It MIGHT be that they are having issues coming to an agreement with their regional partners as part of the Route 747 cost sharing agreement. That COULD be part of the issue here...
Click to expand...
Current fleet is 4 buses (7151-7154), 747 requires 8030 annual service hours (22hrs / day).

I’m tempted to start lobbying council…

Council ought to direct ETS to hold 5 out 20 funded growth buses within upcoming satellite garage capacity for 2025 in abeyance for council directed priorities.

From there, another motion for the following?

- Determine the capital costs to Edmonton taxpayers to covert up to 5 of those buses to airport specifications in order to increase frequency (starting with overcrowded 60 min service) with & without cost sharing.

- Determine the operating costs of increased frequency to Edmonton taxpayers with & without cost sharing.
 
YEG Bus Rider said:
Current fleet is 4 buses (7151-7154), 747 requires 8030 annual service hours (22hrs / day).

I’m tempted to start lobbying council…

Council ought to direct ETS to hold 5 out 20 funded growth buses within upcoming satellite garage capacity for 2025 in abeyance for council directed priorities.

From there, another motion for the following?

- Determine the capital costs to Edmonton taxpayers to covert up to 5 of those buses to airport specifications in order to increase frequency (starting with overcrowded 60 min service) with & without cost sharing.

- Determine the operating costs of increased frequency to Edmonton taxpayers with & without cost sharing.
Click to expand...
are you asking for 5 more busses or just replace the current 4 worn out busses with 5?
 
YEG Bus Rider said:
Current fleet is 4 buses (7151-7154), 747 requires 8030 annual service hours (22hrs / day).

I’m tempted to start lobbying council…

Council ought to direct ETS to hold 5 out 20 funded growth buses within upcoming satellite garage capacity for 2025 in abeyance for council directed priorities.

From there, another motion for the following?

- Determine the capital costs to Edmonton taxpayers to covert up to 5 of those buses to airport specifications in order to increase frequency (starting with overcrowded 60 min service) with & without cost sharing.

- Determine the operating costs of increased frequency to Edmonton taxpayers with & without cost sharing.
Click to expand...
Depending upon your goals for service hours/ route if you're just looking to boost service up to 30 minute frequencies you'd need maybe 6 buses total.
 
Habibfazil said:
are you asking for 5 more busses or just replace the current 4 worn out busses with 5?
Click to expand...
Up to 5 additional buses. Current fleet is highway equipped 2018-19 New Flyer XD40s, no need to replace.
EdwardEdm said:
Depending upon your goals for service hours/ route if you're just looking to boost service up to 30 minute frequencies you'd need maybe 6 buses total.
Click to expand...
Total as in current 4 + 2 growth buses?
 
EdwardEdm said:
Depending upon your goals for service hours/ route if you're just looking to boost service up to 30 minute frequencies you'd need maybe 6 buses total.
Click to expand...
30 mins in all time periods (comparable to Calgary & Ottawa) or at least 30 min midday.

Each growth bus is supposed to add around 2500 annual service hours according to last fall’s budget docs.
 
Last edited:
YEG Bus Rider said:
30 mins in all time periods (comparable to Calgary & Ottawa) or at least 30 min midday.

Each growth bus is supposed to add around 2500 annual service hours according to last fall’s budget docs.
Click to expand...
So I ran the numbers...
747 is 21 hours + about 7 hours of peak service X 365 days per year / 4 buses = 2555 hours per bus.

30 minutes all day... 42 hours X 365 days per year / 2500 hours per bus = 6.132 buses, or / 6 buses and it is exactly the same 2555 hours per bus as the current 4 buses provide.

I did look at cost recovery of the 747 once. I believe it was close to 40%, which as I recall is around ETS's target. That data might have been from the late 2010's and I am sure the route is busier now. There's certainly a healthy lineup when ever I am at Century Park when the bus is due. If the route was recovering 40% back then, plus money from the agreement, I can't help but wonder if the 747 right now could be close to breaking even or even making money.
 
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Some minor good news form the Spring Capital Budget Adjustment. It is recommended to spend $37,850,000 on replacement buses.
This should fund about 47 buses at $800,000 each.

This reduces the shortfall in 2024-2026 capital budget for replacement buses to just over $200 million from $240 million. Feel like a drop in the bucket, but, it is better than nothing.
Prior to this, there was only funding for 22 buses (11 2024, 6 2025, 5 2026) out of a planned requirement for 322, with over 100 buses planned to be replaced each year. So, even with all of the funding over the 3 years, ETS is now looking at 69 replacement buses. Hopefully they'll come up with more money for additional replacements in 2026.

There are still also the 20 growth buses planned for 2025.
 
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