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News Roundup for April 2, 2020
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ETS Bus and General Transit Improvements

Battery systems have improved a great deal over just the past 12 months and the expectation is that they will continue to do so. More importantly, battery management systems have greatly improved from nigh-on non-existent to quite common (especially here in SoCal). There are a couple of inherent problems with electrical supply and sustainability -- both are being resolved fairly slowly. The Grid tries to provide electricity to meet demand -- if it overproduces, the extra electricity has typically gone to waste in the past (battery storage systems are beginning to manage that but they have a long way to go). Overhead wires are also extremely inefficient as a power source; electricity is lost to the atmosphere (that's why you hear that crackling sound when there is frost buildup on overhead wires). The high-voltage transfer lines of the grid are also unhealthful -- an unavoidable economic necessity -- that's why most cities have relatively innocuous uses under the grid lines. Battery powered electric buses will be far more efficient (over time) than trolley buses -- they will be able to return unused power to battery systems that can then be stored or transferred to other vehicles; they can be used for any route (not limited to trolley lines); and batteries year-on-year are becoming more efficient, smaller in size and greater in range capability.
Expect to see through the 2020s an explosion in use of large scale battery users -- buses, semis, motorhomes, delivery vehicles (including drones) -- some of these will use hydrogen fuel cells as an electricity source. LSM and LIM systems will begin to replace all overhead wire systems -- Japan is a leader here.
 
Also, just my opinion but I find the overhead lines to be really ugly and distracting. Some of the intersections in Toronto just seem insane to me

Maybe in person there aren't so bad and you get used to them, but that's just my impression. The trams themselves are gorgeous though.
 
thommyjo said:
Interesting to see the 87th ave bridge there still. Wonder if that's a 1.25-1.5mil focus? I'd imagine more density on the west side and around university will make that route more needed.

Also would love to see the airport connector be more than a standard bus. In absence of the amazing trains a lot of cities have, it'd be cool if they had a half dozen high quality buses with leather seats, overhead baggage storage, etc. Sort of like the connectors at airports like Pearson. First impressions matter and a long drive from the airport to downtown will be a lot more attractive on something that's not our current buses.
Click to expand...
Looking closer at the report, I'm not sure it'll ultimately be a bus route. Sure, the report says that even at 1.5 million people, it would probably be a regional bus service. But once we approach two million, things get interesting...

(Emphasis mine)

Exclusive ROW – The network includes four exclusive transit routes encompassing
mainly current and proposed LRT alignments and extensions (green) and a
proposed airport connector (purple). Transit vehicles may operate at the full posted
speed of the corridor between traffic signals, as they run in dedicated lanes or on
tracks and are not in mixed traffic. A combination of infrastructure upgrades (grade
separation) and technology (pre-emptive and priority signalling) are used to cross at
traffic intersections. These services have off-vehicle fare payment at the platform, to
reduce dwell times. The mass transit network includes the following exclusive ROW
(as defined in this report) routes:

● Capital Line LRT operating from Heritage Valley Major Node to the
Edmonton Energy and Technology Park.
● Valley Line LRT operating from Lewis Farms to Ellerslie.
● Metro Line LRT operating between Campbell Road (St. Albert Park and Ride)
and South Campus. The mass transit network assumes measures such as
grade separation are in place to permit 24 trains per hour, per direction, to
cross University Avenue. (This extension adds service capacity at the busiest
point in the LRT system and is discussed later in the report)

● The Airport Connection is assumed to operate between a grade-separated station
downtown – with walk connections to mass transit lines nearby – and an elevated
station at the airport terminal entrance. This line is proposed to ultimately follow the
CP railway corridor and remain east of Calgary Trail/Gateway Boulevard until near
the Airport. Intermediate stations would allow for connections to other bus routes.
Of special note, stations would be included at 23 Avenue and Whyte Avenue.
(Alternatively, this service may evolve into a semi-express

Then it cuts off. But there you have it. Elevated stations, exclusive right of way that follows the CP corridor, and... connects to other bus routes? I don't know if they mean that it would be a rail service that connects with bus routes, or it would be a bus route that connects with other bus routes, and just happens to follow the CP ROW. Either way, it sounds a lot fancier than your run of the mill bus route – including the present-day route 747.
 
CplKlinger said:
Looking closer at the report, I'm not sure it'll ultimately be a bus route. Sure, the report says that even at 1.5 million people, it would probably be a regional bus service. But once we approach two million, things get interesting...

(Emphasis mine)

Exclusive ROW – The network includes four exclusive transit routes encompassing
mainly current and proposed LRT alignments and extensions (green) and a
proposed airport connector (purple). Transit vehicles may operate at the full posted
speed of the corridor between traffic signals, as they run in dedicated lanes or on
tracks and are not in mixed traffic. A combination of infrastructure upgrades (grade
separation) and technology (pre-emptive and priority signalling) are used to cross at
traffic intersections. These services have off-vehicle fare payment at the platform, to
reduce dwell times. The mass transit network includes the following exclusive ROW
(as defined in this report) routes:

● Capital Line LRT operating from Heritage Valley Major Node to the
Edmonton Energy and Technology Park.
● Valley Line LRT operating from Lewis Farms to Ellerslie.
● Metro Line LRT operating between Campbell Road (St. Albert Park and Ride)
and South Campus. The mass transit network assumes measures such as
grade separation are in place to permit 24 trains per hour, per direction, to
cross University Avenue. (This extension adds service capacity at the busiest
point in the LRT system and is discussed later in the report)

● The Airport Connection is assumed to operate between a grade-separated station
downtown – with walk connections to mass transit lines nearby – and an elevated
station at the airport terminal entrance. This line is proposed to ultimately follow the
CP railway corridor and remain east of Calgary Trail/Gateway Boulevard until near
the Airport. Intermediate stations would allow for connections to other bus routes.
Of special note, stations would be included at 23 Avenue and Whyte Avenue.
(Alternatively, this service may evolve into a semi-express

Then it cuts off. But there you have it. Elevated stations, exclusive right of way that follows the CP corridor, and... connects to other bus routes? I don't know if they mean that it would be a rail service that connects with bus routes, or it would be a bus route that connects with other bus routes, and just happens to follow the CP ROW. Either way, it sounds a lot fancier than your run of the mill bus route – including the present-day route 747.
Click to expand...

They can't say the word "train" or "rail" because that's too much commitment for city administration apparently 😆

In all seriousness, we should improve the regional bus service to the airport with better vehicles and more direct connections right now, and then in the mean time start creating a real concept for a regional rail line in collaboration with not only CP but also Prairie Link HSR. Discussing how to build a higher capacity rail corridor entering Edmonton to fit all these services is going to be important in the next few years, mark my words.
 
City Council approves transit safety plan​

February 24, 2022

City Council has approved the Transit Safety Plan including a three-year pilot program to expand the Community Outreach Transit Team (COTT). This plan builds upon the previous work and foundational investments made in 2018 and will help further ensure a safe experience for transit riders and users of the downtown pedway system. The recommendations in the plan will also help vulnerable people in our community receive the support they need.

“We all deserve to feel safe on transit, and today we took a good step forward in ensuring this becomes a reality,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “As we look to welcome back even more riders as public health orders are lifted, a plan that addresses safety is critical for economic recovery, downtown reactivation and community safety and well-being.”

The plan outlines several initiatives that see increased coordination and integration between the main partners, and increased social support provided by the Community Outreach Transit Team. The COTT program began in September 2021 in partnership with Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society with the aim of building relationships and connecting individuals to specialized community services, such as housing, mental health care, substance use resources and financial assistance.

“We are listening, learning and adapting,” said Andre Corbould, City Manager. “We know we can do more and we have a plan to do that. Together, with our colleagues at Bent Arrow and Edmonton Police Service, we are focused on increasing safety for everyone in the transit system.”

Coordinated and integrated approach
The City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Police Service and Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society will establish a leadership committee focusing on coordinated crime prevention strategies and targeted responses to criminal activity. The committee will implement a joint safety operations team under a unified, shared command and dispatch system that includes police officers, City peace officers, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society outreach workers and Fire Rescue Services.

Increased social support
The approved funding of $3.9 million will be used over the pilot’s duration to expand COTT by adding additional staff and increasing the presence of the team on transit. We will also be working with Alberta Health Services to ensure people have access to services beyond the scope of COTT, such as health care, addictions treatment, psychiatric services and other specialized care. Throughout the three-year pilot period, the City of Edmonton will gather feedback from diverse Edmontonians and organizations and continue to make improvements.

“We are seeing benefits that the COTT program works,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, Branch Manager, Edmonton Transit Service. “Since the launch in October, we are pleased that disorder rates dropped following that implementation, despite more people staying indoors due to colder weather in these months.”​

For more information:
edmonton.ca/ets/safety-and-security

Media contact:
Chrystal Coleman
Communications Advisor
Communications and Engagement
780-868-7176​
 
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