LRT Expansion Planning

[Glenco]

Susan Ruttan must be a little embarrassed when she sees the trains packed to century park

Not a good look. I found this particularly relevant from an op-ed from August 25 1992.

The province’s reluctance to fund urban transport is directly related to its own budget woes. With deficits exceeding $2 billion a year, cuts have to come somewhere. Still, one wonders if such drastic cuts would have been necessary, if the province hadn’t lost hundreds of millions of dollars on foolish business ventures.

 

[yeggator]

Immediately before it was mostly Brian Mulroney, with a few months of Kim Campbell.

Oh yeah, hearing that name again, I remember hearing that Mulroney was quite fiscally conservative.

 

[The_Cat]

Keep in mind that Edmonton had stagnant population growth (even decline) during this decade. We hovered between 625,000 and 650,000. Our population has increased by over 50% since then.

 

[Glenco]

Oh yeah, hearing that name again, I remember hearing that Mulroney was quite fiscally conservative.

Unless it was his own pocket then not so much.

 

[Edmonchuk]

It appears that Jeromy Farkas, who is opposed to LRT expansion and against the green line construction, is leading in polls for Calgary mayoral position. There could be a chance for Edmonton to scoop up more of the infrastructure money from the province and feds to complete the planned Metro/Capital lines. That if we elect a progressive candidate...

 

[EdmTrekker]

It appears that Jeromy Farkas, who is opposed to LRT expansion and against the green line construction, is leading in polls for Calgary mayoral position. There could be a chance for Edmonton to scoop up more of the infrastructure money from the province and feds to complete the planned Metro/Capital lines. That if we elect a progressive candidate...

And there is a progressive Federal Government.

 

[Avenuer]

It appears that Jeromy Farkas, who is opposed to LRT expansion and against the green line construction, is leading in polls for Calgary mayoral position. There could be a chance for Edmonton to scoop up more of the infrastructure money from the province and feds to complete the planned Metro/Capital lines. That if we elect a progressive candidate...

Even if Calgary elects an anti-LRT Mayor, it would take a majority of their Council to be anti-LRT in order to halt any further expansion of their network. Mayors in Alberta are just a glorified Councillor and only contribute one vote as such.

 

[EdmTrekker]

Even if Calgary elects an anti-LRT Mayor, it would take a majority of their Council to be anti-LRT in order to halt any further expansion of their network. Mayors in Alberta are just a glorified Councillor and only contribute one vote as such.

A mayor has a bigger role to play - after all they are elected by ALL citizens unlike councillors who are serving a constituency. Voting is but one of a mayors responsibilities.

 

[ChazYEG]

A mayor has a bigger role to play - after all they are elected by ALL citizens unlike councillors who are serving a constituency. Voting is but one of a mayors responsibilities.

But the Mayor, in our current system, is essentially what he said. He holds little power over major decisions and everything depends on the council as whole. I wish Alberta would pass a law or something to change it, at least for the larger cities (say, 100k+), so we could have a mayor with actual executive powers and a council as a mediating/legislative arena.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

^well if Nickel gets in maybe he will try to change that. This would help him force things onto the city.

 

[yeggator]

^well if Nickel gets in maybe he will try to change that. This would help him force things onto the city.

Time to vote Mike Nickel

 

[roe_]

But the Mayor, in our current system, is essentially what he said. He holds little power over major decisions and everything depends on the council as whole. I wish Alberta would pass a law or something to change it, at least for the larger cities (say, 100k+), so we could have a mayor with actual executive powers and a council as a mediating/legislative arena.

I prefer the weak mayor system, which requires at least a minimum amount of co-operation and consensus building to get anything moving. The strong mayor system favoured by many American cities promotes wild swings in policy direction and I shudder to think what the city would be like with Nickel calling the shots.

 

[ChazYEG]

I prefer the weak mayor system, which requires at least a minimum amount of co-operation and consensus building to get anything moving. The strong mayor system favoured by many American cities promotes wild swings in policy direction and I shudder to think what the city would be like with Nickel calling the shots.

On the other hand, a weak mayor system tends to slow the decision making process, gives way too much power over what happens in the whole city to people only elected to represent part of it, and effectively turns the mayor into a figurehead, more than anything.
Both have its weaknesses and strengths, but the way I see it, the weak mayor system has not favored Edmonton, specifically.

 

[The_Cat]

A mayor needs to build consensus.

 

[Edmcowboy11]

A mayor needs to build consensus.

Well then that leaves Nickel out.