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North Saskatchewan River Taxi

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I am going to go out on a limb here (and Ian put that saw away and stay on the ground!) and say that this decade -- the 2020s -- will be Edmonton's, heart and soul. Once COVID parks itself in the local graveyard, great things are going to happen:
1. The Prairie Sky Gondola will absolutely activate both downtown and Old Strathcona -- Strathcona will see major development moving in all directions, but most notably eastward along Whyte Avenue; downtown will see the strong development of several nodes, including the ICE District, the Quarters, and the Warehouse District Park area -- and somewhat removed a second City centre in Oliver.
2. RoadShowz will make its debut with a major event "happening" at the Pendennis Hotel and the Brighton Block (check the news cycle this weekend) introducing UNCEDED: voices of the land and numerous other events, including two major restaurant/night clubs and the first ever RoadShowz "train". This will be followed through the decade with numerous other projects not the least of which will be the World Indigenous Peoples' Exposition -- a major permanent exposition that features galleries, entertainment venues, and some notable surprises.
3. The seed development of an all weather, year-round river taxi system that plies between Fort Saskatchewan and Devon.
4. A major transport connectivity between Edmonton and Calgary.
5. The development of an all-systems transportation hub.
6. The development of a major architectural school.
7. The expansion of ERR beyond its present parameters
8. The development of a Hydrogen-Hub economy.
...and much more.

So will the ICE district expand -- yes, I strongly believe so!
 
I am going to go out on a limb here (and Ian put that saw away and stay on the ground!) and say that this decade -- the 2020s -- will be Edmonton's, heart and soul. Once COVID parks itself in the local graveyard, great things are going to happen:
1. The Prairie Sky Gondola will absolutely activate both downtown and Old Strathcona -- Strathcona will see major development moving in all directions, but most notably eastward along Whyte Avenue; downtown will see the strong development of several nodes, including the ICE District, the Quarters, and the Warehouse District Park area -- and somewhat removed a second City centre in Oliver.
2. RoadShowz will make its debut with a major event "happening" at the Pendennis Hotel and the Brighton Block (check the news cycle this weekend) introducing UNCEDED: voices of the land and numerous other events, including two major restaurant/night clubs and the first ever RoadShowz "train". This will be followed through the decade with numerous other projects not the least of which will be the World Indigenous Peoples' Exposition -- a major permanent exposition that features galleries, entertainment venues, and some notable surprises.
3. The seed development of an all weather, year-round river taxi system that plies between Fort Saskatchewan and Devon.
4. A major transport connectivity between Edmonton and Calgary.
5. The development of an all-systems transportation hub.
6. The development of a major architectural school.
7. The expansion of ERR beyond its present parameters
8. The development of a Hydrogen-Hub economy.
...and much more.

So will the ICE district expand -- yes, I strongly believe so!
How would a year round river taxi work with you know, the river being frozen in winter?
 
ow would a year round river taxi work with you know, the river being frozen in winter?
Our group has been studying this for some time (last decade). There is a hybrid beast called a wing-in-ground-effect transport (Wing-in-ground effect occurs when a craft is flying no higher than the length of its wingspan above the ground or water. Within that distance, induced drag decreases, which increases the lift the wing can generate at a given speed. ... The decreased drag improves fuel consumption as well. -- courtesy U.S.Naval Institute). We have been looking at rotational fans that can provide vertical and horizontal thrust such that long distances (say Devon to Rabbit Hill) could be covered in rapid time and shorter distances would have the vehicle going slower, acting more like a hovercraft/boat hybrid. We have been working with a group out of Australia that has been building and maintaining similar kinds of vehicles for more than four decades. Here is an example --
The trick is maneuverability in "close quarters" and the need for a network of docking facilities. We are looking at using LSM "highways" to bring the the craft "ashore" to overcome both concerns. The craft would be electric (noise control) with hydrogen fuel cell generators (where the waste discharge is pure water). We also have to concern ourselves with bridge clearances.
This would be a nice "first" for Edmonton and would be a great interconnected transportation element -- one more concept to tie into the Gondola, the ERR, LRT, etc. I'll keep you posted...
 
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Here are a series of "mechanical" renderings with notes that show that we have been earnestly working on the concept solution for a rivercraft taxi for Edmonton (our test-bed)...
Close-up ext..jpeg

The front half of the craft is seating; the back half has fan drives for vertical/horizontal propulsion. The fore "wings" are designed to also accommodate entry exit "planks"
Entry portal.jpeg

The entry/exit portals are located mod-distance between seating groupings. Disabled patrons would require on-board assistance from assigned personnel -- similar to an aircraft.
Ext. Perspective 1.jpeg

Exterior perspective
Ext. Perspective 2.jpeg

Exterior Perspective (Alternate View)
hovercraft .jpg

Functional View in the River Valley context
Seating Aft View 2.jpeg

Interior Aft View
Seating Aft View.jpeg

Interior Aft View #2
Seating fore view 2.jpeg

Interior Fore view with information screen (behind which sits the craft's pilot)
Seating fore view.jpeg

Alternate Fore view
 

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I don't think this idea will ever take off on the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, perhaps elsewhere.
 
I don't think this idea will ever take off on the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, perhaps elsewhere.
If I could catch a water taxi at Louise McKenney Park to Fort Edmonton I would take it ... once. I know people in Beverly that would take it to go to Hawrelak Park for Heritage Festival ... once yearly. I know this is tourism not business. Not sure how it would be viable without have a network of docks in places people want to go. I think a River Valley Gondola from the far West end LRT Station then West Edmonton Mall and with stops at Fort Edmonton, Edmonton Zoo, Hawrelak Park, Victoria Park, the Legislature and to the AGT Tower to transfer south would be more practical, useful and weave our tourist areas together.
 
Perhaps something small scale (for starters) could work. Start at the same site as the Edmonton Riverboat, run upstream to Rossdale, then a stop at the Kinsmen. This would connect the gondola, Valley Line LRT and funicular.
 
Perhaps something small scale (for starters) could work. Start at the same site as the Edmonton Riverboat, run upstream to Rossdale, then a stop at the Kinsmen. This would connect the gondola, Valley Line LRT and funicular.
It would most certainly be a phased build-out. In my mind there are several pluses to a river transport besides the obvious people-mover aspect. As @EdmTrekker noted a river valley conveyance would be great to activate venues that are already in place along the river -- Valley Zoo, Ft. Edm. Park, etc. It would also serve to bring Fort Saskatchewan and Devon into the City-fold. It could ultimately be expanded to reach farther out destinations -- Drayton Valley and Rocky Mountain House to the west in particular and the connection to the Rocky Mountain foothills.
 
I would want this river taxi to access either Louise McKinney Park or the Edmonton Riverboat launch site (or both), plus access to Rundle Park, Rossdale Plant site, Kinsmen Park, Government House Park, Hawrelak Park and Terwillegar Park.

My only 2 worries for now:
1) how this will interact with the Edmonton Riverboat (formerly the Edmonton Queen) and other water craft
2) passenger pricing
 

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