City needs to save for new southside park and ride, councillor says

Millions of dollars will need to be set aside in the city's budget to guarantee parking is available for transit riders in south Edmonton, says Coun. Michael Walters.

The city has only five years left on it's lease with developer ProCura Real Estate Services, which owns the land the Century Park LRT park-and ride sits on.

"That five years goes by quick in this business, and we need to prepare to move that park and ride. That's what I'm going to fight to do in this budget," Walters said.

Councillors will consider whether or not to spend $33 million to build a new park and ride in Heritage Valley, five kilometres away from the Century Park LRT station. Commuters will shuttle between the two on buses.

"I suppose that is a little weird," Walters said. "That's just the lot we have right now."

Walters said the park and ride fills up every morning. If council doesn't find a solution, those transit riders may not have any place to park to take the south LRT once the existing park-and-ride lease runs out in 2020.

"Getting it in this capital budget is important in my opinion to start getting the design work done, and some of the early work done, so that we don't have a gap where we have no park and ride," Walters said.

City staff also outlined a second, much more expensive option to expand LRT to the proposed Heritage Valley park and ride at a cost of $820 million which includes $8 million to purchase provincial land.

Coun. Bryan Anderson sent the report to local MLAs Stephen Mandel, Matt Jeneroux and Fred Horne. He said he would like to see the province give the land to the city for free, to promote environmentally friendly transportation options.

Budget deliberations are underway not at city hall. Council is expected to approve the budget by Dec. 12.