ELISE STOLTE Council drops left-turn lane near MacEwan University

A decision to eliminate a left turn for vehicle traffic near MacEwan University Monday is a trade-off that should preserve the institution’s tree-lined boulevard on 104 Avenue when the LRT is built, say officials.

Council’s executive committee endorsed the change Monday.

It can be seen as a win for those worried that too little attention has been paid to what it will be like to walk to or around the west LRT extension. Several people raised that concern at the LRT public hearing, including MacEwan officials.

MacEwan currently has a canopy with established ash trees lining both sides of the wide sidewalk, allowing students and other pedestrians to stay far back from traffic on the busy six-lane 104 Avenue.

The west LRT concept plans originally called for large parts of that canopy to be cut back.

The institution will still lose part of the canopy at 112 Street to accommodate a new right-turn lane, said MacEwan associate vice-president Stuart MacLean. They may also lose trees during construction, depending on how much space the machines need to manoeuvre, but the ultimate plan is to restore the canopy by replacing trees if they are removed to make an unbroken canopy from 105 Street through 111 Street.

If going westbound on 104 Avenue, motorists can no longer turn south on 109 Street to cross the High Level Bridge.

Currently between 65 and 80 vehicles per hour make that turn, with higher numbers during offpeak hours.

Officials expect demand to drop to 50 vehicles an hour when the LRT narrows 104 Avenue to four lanes. That many vehicles can be accommodated elsewhere in the network — people can turn off 104 Avenue at 101, 103 or 105 streets, then take 103 Avenue or Jasper Avenue.

Many Edmonton residents have suggested council either tunnel or raise the tracks near 109 Street to ensure the public train and private vehicle traffic don’t conflict. Others suggest running the tracks down 107 Avenue, where there might be more space.

But officials say grade separation here would cost roughly $300 million because of the length and complex urban environment.

Putting the train on 107 Avenue would miss all the development opportunity along 104 Avenue, at 142 Street and near the Stony Plain Road business revitalization area. That’s significant, said Mayor Don Iveson, pointing to West Block Glenora, a major LRT-inspired development already under construction.

It doesn’t make sense to preserve every traffic movement along a new LRT line, he added, saying traffic flowing in other directions will move faster because those vehicles won’t have to wait. “There’s a reason why you cannot take a left turn almost anywhere in Toronto.”

But the left turn option will remain at least until LRT construction begins. Administration is finalizing the detailed design and costs before getting sign-off from the provincial and federal governments for their contributions.

They hope to put the project to tender later this year.