Valley Line LRT | TransEd/Marigold | City of Edmonton

I got my lazy butt on at the 102 St stop the other day to transfer to Capital Line at Churchill. Haven't been able to do so going to work yet as I usually get to Churchill when the Valley Line just left. Can't wait for 5-minute frequencies then.

One thing though is that I waited almost 3 minutes for a walk signal to get to the Churchill Connector. Half the people jaywalked. One person naturally started crossing as the train was leaving the stop. I'll send a suggestion to the city that they need to prioritize letting passengers cross shortly after disembarking from the train. It's all the little things.
Yah even during testing, if a train wasn't around people just crossed. Was quite prevalent at the connector and 99st
 
If anyone hasn't had a chance to ride the Valley Line yet, you may be interested in my video documenting the entire line from Mill Woods to 102 Street.

Great Video Chris - Thanks for posting that!

The line itself is great....
But what I can't get over is just how slowly the trains travel for the majority of the trip..... 30/35 - It's almost painful to watch haha
 
I finally went on this yesterday and also transferred at Churchill. The platforms are narrow, so they do not seem that large and this will become even more of an issue if ridership increases.

I agree now is the time to think about and work out kinks like this, so it operates more smoothly and safely for everyone.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention, the platform at Churchill Stop to Mill Woods was PACKED. I remember there's been some discussion that the stop may have been underbuilt given its role in the system, but I hope five-minute frequencies help things a little.
 
I mean, it's good to see that the Valley Line is being used heavily, it probably shows that there is a demand for tram service in the city despite what some might say about future and current LRT projects. I do support the move to 5 min frequencies sooner rather than later. Like that National Post story mentioned, the Valley Line so far (despite its heavy delays) is a success in Edmontonian public transit.
 
Great Video Chris - Thanks for posting that!

The line itself is great....
But what I can't get over is just how slowly the trains travel for the majority of the trip..... 30/35 - It's almost painful to watch haha
I'll reserve final judgment for when I ride it myself (due to this effect possibly being at play in the video) and the fact that it seems surprisingly zippy through downtown from what I've seen, but speed's always been my biggest worry about this line. Seeing cars pass you while riding on brand new multi-billion dollar train is a real demoralizer.
 
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If anyone hasn't had a chance to ride the Valley Line yet, you may be interested in my video documenting the entire line from Mill Woods to 102 Street.


I don't know what day or time when you rode the LRT but I noticed there were barely any passengers boarding from Avonmore to Churchill.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention, the platform at Churchill Stop to Mill Woods was PACKED. I remember there's been some discussion that the stop may have been underbuilt given its role in the system, but I hope five-minute frequencies help things a little.
Not a bad thing at all. We have way too much empty space throughout most of our LRT system which becomes a place for loitering and unsafe activities. Our infrastructure should be well used and standing room only maintains safe spaces.
 
I've taken the Valley Line SE several times now and the rose-tinted glasses are off.
Taking 95 Ave and 85 Street instead of Connor's Road was a huge mistake that easily adds 5 minutes to the journey time.
Muttart to Bonnie Doon takes ~10 minutes (vs 4 minutes by car). This is for an area with lower transit ridership than Mill Woods and lower population density than our new suburbs.

From the city's concept plan from 2010:
> Connors Road – Remaining north of Connors Road in order to target 95 Avenue and avoiding the major commuter route with reversible lanes

The Valley Line absolutely prioritizes motorists and home owners over actual transit users and it shows.

Trips like Clareview - WEM, Mill Woods - University and Mill Woods - WEM via LRT will be comparable in duration to a cross-town bus. We've taken a shotgun to the network effects we get from intersecting LRT lines.
 
I don't know what day or time when you rode the LRT but I noticed there were barely any passengers boarding from Avonmore to Churchill.

I've taken the Valley Line SE several times now and the rose-tinted glasses are off.
Taking 95 Ave and 85 Street instead of Connor's Road was a huge mistake that easily adds 5 minutes to the journey time.
Muttart to Bonnie Doon takes ~10 minutes (vs 4 minutes by car). This is for an area with lower transit ridership than Mill Woods and lower population density than our new suburbs.

From the city's concept plan from 2010:
> Connors Road – Remaining north of Connors Road in order to target 95 Avenue and avoiding the major commuter route with reversible lanes

The Valley Line absolutely prioritizes motorists and home owners over actual transit users and it shows.

Trips like Clareview - WEM, Mill Woods - University and Mill Woods - WEM via LRT will be comparable in duration to a cross-town bus. We've taken a shotgun to the network effects we get from intersecting LRT lines.
Thanks for the review, kinda follows my thoughts.
Wondering if anyone here has tried to move a wheelchair or super suv style baby stroller between the aisles of seats, doesn't look possible
 
We are going to do the Wheelchair accessible trial this weekend, I'll let you know.

Wife is pretty militant now that she has to use a chair. A GC hired her to do a post construction assessment of a project, half way down the ramp she was taking notes. The GC commented on how tough she was since she was 10 ft into the building.
 

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