When thinking about the suggestions in the last few posts I think the options I would like to see would be the following.
#1. Find the cheapest and most bare bones way of getting across the train yard for the metro line and get the train built out to the planned final stop. Plus push the city of St Albert to plan and build their extension into St Albert so that way when the Edmonton section is complete the St Albert section will be either complete or nearing completion.
#2. Extend the capital line South to the Derocher station at the very least. Possibly extend the LRT all the way to Leduc. Have a couple stops in Nisku and of course at the airport lands and Leduc. With that plan they should also have a people mover that will stop at the LRT station, at the mall, at a parking facility, and of course at the airport.
OR
#2A have a Terminal Station at Derocher where there would be a cross platform transfer to a heavy Rail train that would go at least to the airport and back. Same people mover train would still be built at the airport lands.
 
I do hate the talk that St. Albert "doesn't deserve our transit" or whatever. It's not just for them, it would be great for Edmontonians to be able to take transit to St. Albert too, whether they're visiting friends or going to a store or working in St. Albert. They already drive on our roads to get to their jobs in the city and cost us money in road maintenance.
 
Agard said:
I do hate the talk that St. Albert "doesn't deserve our transit" or whatever. It's not just for them, it would be great for Edmontonians to be able to take transit to St. Albert too, whether they're visiting friends or going to a store or working in St. Albert. They already drive on our roads to get to their jobs in the city and cost us money in road maintenance.
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With all due respect, it’s a 90/10 split in terms of direction of travel. The LRT, primarily paid for by Edmonton residents, should best serve the needs of Edmontonians. If connecting to St. Albert is part of that, great. But if another alignment better served the northside taxpayers, that should be chosen.
 
Agard said:
I do hate the talk that St. Albert "doesn't deserve our transit" or whatever. It's not just for them, it would be great for Edmontonians to be able to take transit to St. Albert too, whether they're visiting friends or going to a store or working in St. Albert. They already drive on our roads to get to their jobs in the city and cost us money in road maintenance.
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I don’t mind giving St. Albert residents good access to the LRT. What bugs me is that 97th Street wasn’t considered because it would be a more indirect route (i.e. 6 extra minutes of travel time) to St. Albert, even though it serves North Edmonton way better (closer to more neighbourhoods, stations at major north-side destinations and transit centres, cheaper for us to cross the Walker Yards). Let’s build quality transit to our bedroom communities, but we mustn’t compromise for residents within city limits who disproportionately fund the operations of ETS.
 
yeggator said:
I don’t mind giving St. Albert residents good access to the LRT. What bugs me is that 97th Street wasn’t considered because it would be a more indirect route (i.e. 6 extra minutes of travel time) to St. Albert, even though it serves North Edmonton way better (closer to more neighbourhoods, stations at major north-side destinations and transit centres, cheaper for us to cross the Walker Yards). Let’s build quality transit to our bedroom communities, but we mustn’t compromise for residents within city limits who disproportionately fund the operations of ETS.
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Lurking old timer here. Funny enough, 97st was planned for LRT long ago, but never to go to St Albert.

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The north west line in that diagram was supposed to be LRT, but now I'm wondering if a St Albert connection could be made as part of the regional rail program instead?

The city is flanked with heavy rail lines on the east and west, they could even have two lines going into Edmonton for little cost compared to a whole new right of way.

Can't take that route all the way downtown anymore, but maybe there's a way the heavy rail could connect to the metro line by heading east south of the VIA station?
 
How about a branch line turning off at the 2nd Blatchford station. One towards NW and the otge up 97st terminating at around Eaux Claires.
 
itom987 said:
I think the green line up 113 St., and all the way down 137 Ave. is best because neighbourhoods are more porous and welcoming to pedestrians. I would never buid an LRT station along 153 Ave. Those kind of neighbourhoods are facing away from the street making it difficult to walk anywhere conveniently. They give off the 'gated' community effect and would have to be redesigned extensively in order to make the LRT station work as intended.
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The "porous and pedestrian-friendly" neighbourhoods are only south of 137th Ave. And while you hit the shopping centre, you miss out on the transit centres. And it's so far from a lot of the neighbourhoods in North Edmonton, especially closer to the Henday.
 
I have heard Castle Downs CL is furious about any downgrade in future transit plans. Are they in Erin's ward? I hope she is mindful of this at the next election.
 
Maybe if Rahki Pancholi becomes the next NDP premier, as she is from St. Albert, she will bring the NW extension to her riding.
 
Pro.N said:
I also think the west side of Griesbach is now way more densely developed to accommodate LRT than the east. West side seems more TOD oriented along Castledowns road. Plus by the time this gets built there will be 2 High Schools at Castledowns (new Catholic + new EPSB (in planning)).
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Been a while since I've been up in Griesbach, so I haven't seen a lot of these new developments on the southwest corner of Griesbach, but looking at it from Google Maps, it just feels like another suburban stick-frame apartment complex. I've been to commercial center at the southeast corner and it's a really nice mixed-use walkable area where the train would make so much more sense. And regardless of where the train crosses (97th Street or 113a Street), it'll have to swing west onto 153rd to go towards St. Albert and will serve the high schools.
 
I honestly think now its wayyy to late to go onto 97th. It may have good ridership potential, but it adds to much time to the trip. It would be inefficient and not worth the money. At that point make it a new line.
Id rather spend money making good brt and having an Ottawa situation of having to convert to LRT later…
 
It probably makes most sense to have a 97st North Line AND a 127street NorthWest Line, that converge at blatchford, but i dont think the system was designed for that kind of capacity on the NAIT line to go downtown. the NW alignment was always weird with that hard 90 degree turn, trying to catch as much of the north as possible, but not doing a good job of it. North Edmonton would logically have 3 lines, the existing north-east, a straight north, and a north-west to st albert.
 
Just branch off a low floor line off the valley line at 102ave and go straight north on 97th. Would be tight through China town but after that there’s more than enough room. I agree it makes no sense going north on 97th and then veering west towards St. Albert; should be two different lines
 
Didama said:
Just branch off a low floor line off the valley line at 102ave and go straight north on 97th. Would be tight through China town but after that there’s more than enough room. I agree it makes no sense going north on 97th and then veering west towards St. Albert; should be two different lines
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Actually, if there were to be a low floor tram like the Valley Line trains then I would simply run a completely separate line not attached to the Valley Line at all. The route that I would take would begin on 96th Street just north of the quarters station, then would travel northbound along 96 where it would veer west at the old Remands land to then travel north on 97st until it terminal staition at Eaux Claire
 
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