Mayor seeks five-year provincial pledge on LRT

Iveson pushes for simultaneous extensions to Valley and Metro lines

Mayor Don Iveson recruited west-end residents and developers to lobby for stable LRT funding Wednesday.

Standing at Lewis Farms Transit Centre, the future west terminus of the Valley Line LRT, Iveson urged the province to make at least a five-year commitment in its spring budget to support more LRT construction in Edmonton.

That would let city officials finalize plans, study raising or lowering the tracks to avoid key intersections, and begin construction on two new projects the moment construction between downtown and Mill Woods is complete.

Iveson wants to extend the Valley Line to Lewis Farms in the west and the Metro Line into Blatchford at the same time.

“We’ve been ... chipping away at this in bits and spurts for decades,” he said, arguing now is the time to get serious about completing the LRT network.

The province has said roughly a fifth of the new carbon levy will go to green infrastructure projects such as public transit in Alberta’s major cities, but it has not given a timeline or budget. It’s been under pressure to step up provincial investment to match federal commitments made during the last election.

On Wednesday, two west-end community league presidents and the builder behind the new West Block project on Stony Plain Road and 142 Street came out to support Iveson.

Ryan Smith, principal with Inhouse by Beaverbrook, said “certainty” and timing are critical for projects like his, which is centred around a future LRT station on the west leg.

The station would be part of a public plaza, ringed with restaurants, retail and offices, with residential towers set further back. The development company started demolishing parts of the previous failed development on that site this week and aims to start construction this summer.

“Density and transit go hand in hand. It’s difficult for one to be economical without the other,” Smith said, arguing Edmonton needs LRT to support higher density, which gives choice in the housing market, makes the city more financially stable and has environment benefits.

Angela Richardson, president of the Secord Community League, said development in the area has exploded, with many new families and three new schools.

“Now is the time to act,” she said, otherwise “more and more children will grow up to depend on their own automobiles to get around.”

An LRT line would open options for residents in her area, Richardson said.

“Seniors who rely on public transportation would no longer be limited to certain areas of the city.”

“It’s simply impractical to take a bus to certain areas of the city,” added Irina Langreiter, president of the Lewis Estates Community League.

Alberta Infrastructure Minister Brian Mason said the province is supportive of LRT in general but needs to see more detailed plans. The government recognizes the need for funding certainty and a five-year commitment in this spring budget “is not something we would rule out.”