Three weeks after City staff released a report outlining a $440 million jump in the cost of building the Valley Line West LRT, the federal government has committed $878 million in transit funding for Edmonton. The cash injection comes from Ottawa's $33 billion infrastructure fund, with the government announcing that one-tenth of those funds will go towards Alberta projects.

Valley Line LRT, image via City of Edmonton

The $3.3 billion in funding over the next decade consists of $2.1 billion for public transit, $1 billion for green infrastructure, $160 million for northern and rural communities, and $141 million for community, culture and recreation infrastructure. Calgary's share of the transit funding, calculated from ridership figures, equals almost $1.1 billion.

The bilateral binding agreement between the federal and provincial governments will exist in perpetuity, and is not contingent on the long-term governance of any particular political party. The federal government has also indicated their support for funding 40 percent of the cost of new projects, a break from the traditional one-third split between the three levels of government. The province has committed to funding a minimum of 33 percent of transit projects, though Mayor Iveson is pushing the NDP to match the federal share of 40 percent. That would leave the City responsible for paying the remaining 20 percent. 

Earlier configuration for Valley Line West LRT at Stony Plain Road and 149 Street, image via City of Edmonton

The announcement is a boon for the second stage of the Valley Line LRT line from 102 Street to Lewis Farms, a route formally called Valley Line West. The cost of the project rose to $2.24 billion last month when changes to the design were made. The proposed scheme included a larger park-and-ride facility at Lewis Estates, a raised grade separation at 178 Street, and at-grade track at Stony Plain Road and 149 Street dips into an underpass. Council later decided not to endorse the underpass idea, bringing the cost of the project back down to about $2 billion.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article claimed the Stony Plain underpass option was in play. It has in fact been rejected in a council vote.

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