Edmonton to consider moving up timeline for northwest LRT expansion

Edmonton's northwest LRT expansion and bike plan implementation may come sooner than expected.

The urban planning committee will recommend city council move the Metro Line expansion from Blatchford to Castle Downs to an earlier phase of LRT development in Edmonton after a unanimous vote Tuesday.

The recommendation will go to council next week.

"People living in the northside of the city, particularly Castle Downs and the northwest, have been waiting for the LRT for almost three decades," said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi during a media availability.

"It is about fairness; it is about equity … and I think it is important that we give people certainty that LRT will get there."

The city plan, adopted in 2020, looks ahead to when the city's population reaches 2 million people. It aims to have 50 per cent of all trips done by active transportation — bikes, walking, etc. — or transit.

Administration studied mass transit needs for the city once it hits a population of 1.25 million, expected within the next 10 to 15 years.

It identifies various strategies including reallocating existing road right-of-way to dedicated transit, future transit-oriented development, parallel routes and park-and-ride locales.

The Metro Line expansion is currently scheduled for completion after the 1.25 million population phase.

Sohi said there would be no capacity issue should it be moved into the first phase alongside the Capital Line south expansion from Century Park to Ellerslie.

"We can do both that extension and the Castle Downs expansion at the same time and tapping into both federal and provincial support," he said.

Sohi expects more funding to come in the future from upper levels of government to support climate resiliency.

Accelerating bike lanes

The committee also took a look at the Bike Implementation Plan, which aims to expand and enhance up to 678 kilometres of multi-use trails over the next 10 to 15 years.

In its current state, the plan includes 270 kilometres of routes in developing and future growth areas as well as 408 kilometres for the redeveloping area, identified as neighbourhoods within the Anthony Henday circle.

Coun. Ashley Salvador introduced a motion for administration to look at options to move up completion of routes in the redeveloping area to 2026.

"I think that truly enabling cycling as a viable mode of transportation is an action we can take now to reduce the cost of living for Edmontonians, improve public health, and really help us reach our ambitious emissions reductions targets," Salvador said.

The motion was passed unanimously by the five voting members of the committee. A report is expected in the third quarter of this year, ahead of fall budget discussions.