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Urban Mobility 2.0 - how open Canadian municipalities are to introduce innovation around sustainable transportation

IanO

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Edmonton's plans for e-transit ambitious, but threatened by sprawl, car-loving past, report says

Ishita Verma · CBC News

While Edmonton is often a leader in Canada, even North America, in implementing sustainable public transit options, decades of car-oriented development and urban sprawl may be holding it back, says a report commissioned by Transport Canada.

Canadian Urban Mobility 2.0 looks at how open Canadian municipalities are to introduce innovation around sustainable transportation.

The report studied how people move around — whether by cycling, mass transit, or personal vehicles — in cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal and Halifax.

 
From the report:

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By all the policy initiatives launched, Edmonton ought to be seeing big increases to transit, bikes, etc. This is not happening in reality. This makes me question the methodology of the analysis. I think population growth, economic growth and densification would be be the bigger picture things needed to see more transit use, etc.
 
By all the policy initiatives launched, Edmonton ought to be seeing big increases to transit, bikes, etc. This is not happening in reality. This makes me question the methodology of the analysis. I think population growth, economic growth and densification would be be the bigger picture things needed to see more transit use, etc.
I think they go hand-in-hand, but policies are long term visions that take time to take root. I think this council will help a lot with our progress, through accelerating the bike plan and fixing missing pedestrian linkages, increasing ETS funding, etc. And densification, which is really important for sure, will continue to increase as well. We're on a good path here, we just shouldn't get too discouraged by seeing the trees instead of the forest. :)
 
The other challenge (for which I don't see an immediate solution) is the distribution of jobs. Compared to most other cities in the report, Edmonton as a tonne of jobs in low-density warehouse and manufacturing areas that are particularly hard to serve with transit. That means the transit service has to be broader than just serving commuters to and from downtown. Much like the cross-town routes are designed to cover, I suppose.
 
The other challenge (for which I don't see an immediate solution) is the distribution of jobs. Compared to most other cities in the report, Edmonton as a tonne of jobs in low-density warehouse and manufacturing areas that are particularly hard to serve with transit. That means the transit service has to be broader than just serving commuters to and from downtown. Much like the cross-town routes are designed to cover, I suppose.
For sure. Compared to Calgary, we have a lot fewer office workers, which are a low hanging fruit when it comes to mode shift.
 
For sure. Compared to Calgary, we have a lot fewer office workers, which are a low hanging fruit when it comes to mode shift.
Which is why it's a bit disappointing to hear a few announcements lately where companies are setting up their offices in South Edm along Cal Trail vs. the available space downtown with much better public and active transportation access.
 
As with any city.

While I'd like to see more of a corporate commitment to our Downtown from new users/tenants, I completely understand why many choose other areas like Calgary Trail or 170st/178st.
 
-Proximity to the owner's or staff homes ie. commute times
-Proximity to clients
-Proximity to partner groups
-Access to their office in general
-Optics (yup, sometimes a consideration) of being a 'Downtown firm' ie. expensive
-Cost
-Perception of certain areas such as Downtown being busy, unsafe, complicated to get to, annoying to pay for parking

etc.
 
-Proximity to the owner's or staff homes ie. commute times
-Proximity to clients
-Proximity to partner groups
-Access to their office in general
-Optics (yup, sometimes a consideration) of being a 'Downtown firm' ie. expensive
-Cost
-Perception of certain areas such as Downtown being busy, unsafe, complicated to get to, annoying to pay for parking

etc.
I hope the scales tip for Edmonton, but they probably won't so a polycentric transit system is going to be important going forward.
 
For sure. Compared to Calgary, we have a lot fewer office workers, which are a low hanging fruit when it comes to mode shift.
Edmonton does not have "a lot" fewer office workers than Calgary. This is an old worn stereotype that refuses to die.

You can look at the statistics canada data, Edmonton has maybe 10k more blue-collar workers than Calgary, that's it. Edmonton's employment is spread out more, but that is not the same thing as saying we have a lot fewer office workers.
 
Edmonton does not have "a lot" fewer office workers than Calgary. This is an old worn stereotype that refuses to die.

You can look at the statistics canada data, Edmonton has maybe 10k more blue-collar workers than Calgary, that's it. Edmonton's employment is spread out more, but that is not the same thing as saying we have a lot fewer office workers.
I was basing it off the fact that Calgary has a lot more office space in their downtown. You are right though, that could definitely be deceiving if our office space is more spread out. Are you able to share a link to the relevant statscan data?
 
By chance, updated jobs data will actually be released tomorrow as part of the February labour force survey and you can see the breakdown by sector down to the municipal level.
 

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