ETS Bus and General Transit Improvements

[TAS]

I read somewhere that LRT ridership breached pre-pandemic levels in September, I'm not sure if I read that correctly, so don't quote me on that.

Yes and by pre-pandemic they mean 2019 levels, which weren't as high as 2014 levels. Our population has also grown by 15% since just 2019 so as a mode share, public transit is actually decreasing. The only thing actually increasing in terms of mode share is travel by vehicle - which of course just leads to more congestion and costs to city.

 

[trevorhayden]

Traffic counts are actually stable due to increases in working from home, delivery service replacing shopping, and approved active transportation infrastructure.

 

[northlands]

Traffic counts are actually stable due to increases in working from home, delivery service replacing shopping, and approved active transportation infrastructure.

Source? Maybe true for 2022, no way that is accurate for traffic volumes in 2024.

 

[trevorhayden]

City of Edmonton traffic counts on Open Data

 

[thommyjo]

I also wonder if some of our neighborhood family stage cycles are hurting transit use? This is mostly anecdotal. But when I grew up, it was all the inner henday suburbs (terwillegar, millwoods. Gariepy, etc) and those places weren’t great for transit, but you could get to Strathcona, Jasper Place, Wagner, UpfA, Macewan, etc in 50-80 minutes.

But now, many of those neighborhoods are more empty nesters and adult children, or some are seeing younger families move back in, but still years away from kids using transit. And it’s the new suburbs of rosenthal, windemere, summerside, walker etc that have more kids going to high school and uni. But those places are so much tougher for transit. Anecdotally, I know more people driving to uni from those suburbs vs transiting.

Some of that might change with new LRT extensions. But still, 75% of our growth has been in areas poorly built for transit and far from existing train lines or frequent central lines. No surprise usage has dropped.

 

[fromyeg]

Some relevant info from the article.^

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-transit-needs-99-new-buses-by-2026-to-keep-up-with-demand-city-managers-say-1.7368687

 

[IanO]

Need to be, have to be or should be?

 

[YEG Bus Rider]

 

[Kosy123]

I'll die a happy man if they somehow start doing 5 min intervals on the LRT during weekends at some point in the next 10-15 years.

 

[Glenco]

Need to be, have to be or should be?

Shouldn’t that be have to be, need to be or should be?

 

[Greenspace]

Yes and by pre-pandemic they mean 2019 levels, which weren't as high as 2014 levels. Our population has also grown by 15% since just 2019 so as a mode share, public transit is actually decreasing. The only thing actually increasing in terms of mode share is travel by vehicle - which of course just leads to more congestion and costs to city.

Bingo. I think Council missed the point and media doesn't do any digging. Transit is now our largest budget item and in fact mode share is decreasing. We're, what, 300,000 people larger than transit peak in 2014/15? Council should be very very concerned about this lack of mode shift with how much we're spending.

 

[David A]

Bingo. I think Council missed the point and media doesn't do any digging. Transit is now our largest budget item and in fact mode share is decreasing. We're, what, 300,000 people larger than transit peak in 2014/15? Council should be very very concerned about this lack of mode shift with how much we're spending.

Sounds like spending more and getting less, which seems to be a recurring theme these days with certain levels of government. This Council is not one for digging much, they seem to mostly just accept what it told to them and leave it at that.

 

[YEG Bus Rider]

Transit Fare revenue gap is officially threatening planned service improvements for April 2025.