We can do better than soulless transit stations
I hate our transit stations.
I hate how cold and lonely they feel — islands of concrete cut off from anything that makes living in a city worthwhile.
Grocery stores, coffee shops and dry cleaning services might be just across the street or parking lot, but that feels miles away in the biting cold wind.
No wonder these spaces feel unsafe.
Council is spending $20 million to increase security, putting a private security contractor at every major station, upgrading lights and adding mirrors to blind corners. I doubt it will make a difference in how the station feels.
Can’t we stop and dream bigger?
Now is the perfect time. City council knows it has an issue. It just needs to stop and take a second look at what is actually the problems.
Dead, empty, soul-less places attract crime and disorder. A few security officers are not the answer.
The police beat patrol already tackles hotspots and repeat offenders.
That’s not enough. People feel safe when surrounded by a vibrant, busy mix of people. But if the only reason to be at a transit station is to wait for a bus, that’s a pretty small crowd.
So here’s one idea. The mall space in the Bay/Enterprise Square LRT Station has been vacant since 1983, increasing the perception that this is dangerous, forgotten space. Long white walls line the concourse proclaiming “Future Station Retail Mall” in classic City of Edmonton font. There is 412 square metres (4,439 square feet) behind there.
Put it out for tender, lease it for $1 a year to an organization that offers the most community benefit. Maybe a co-operative pottery studio, meeting room, office and workshop space for city festivals, a temp agency?
“Free would be amazing,” said April Dean, executive director of the Snap Gallery. If it was seen as an arts incubator, space for use at a minimal fee, it could give a leg up to artists and groups just starting out.
Even if they just agree to have clear windows, the city comes out ahead because riding transit would be a better experience. It won’t be easy.
Cafe owner Nate Box knows this better than most. About 10 years ago, he responded to a city request for proposals on 14 sites across seven stations.
The RFP was cancelled because the city said it did not get enough viable ideas. But Box eventually got Burrow Cafe as a one-off project.
Box, who has experience with cafes in unconventional locations, sunk $250,000 into the tiny shop in Central LRT station and kept it open until 2017. He still pays rent and hopes to reopen if he can think of a workable concept. The problem is people coming off the LRT are not lingering for a coffee — they’re on autopilot, glued to their phones as they rush to the office.
One tiny shop couldn’t overcome the cold, petty crime and social disorder of the otherwise dead space. Currently five of Edmonton Transit’s 13 tiny kiosk spots are vacant.
So here’s his idea — enlist Colliers International or another creative commercial retail group that builds bustling hubs for a living. Get people who are invested in the issue into a room to brainstorm, he says.
“It’s about getting together some brilliant minds and some experienced, objective minds.” Here’s idea three.
Tackle the above-ground stations first.
Edmonton is designing new LRT stations now and has plans to refurbish older ones.
Make them fully integrated with the neighbourhood. Bring buses to where people want to be instead of forcing them to wait in isolation for the bus.
Instead of a bus loop and concrete island, let the buses pull up to a small plaza near the front of a mall or park.
The planned new bus station in Mill Woods Town Centre is a great example.
The developer is putting a condo tower between the LRT and bus station, with a takeout place, convenience store or coffee shop on the main floor.
The buses will pull their nose up right to the front door. Reduce rent for shopkeepers who are open late and the place will start to feel alive.
We can do this with other stations, too.
Many of Edmonton’s existing bus centres will soon be overbuilt. The route redesign rolling out in mid-2020 won’t rely on multiple buses arriving at the same time to make connections. Instead, the main service will run at a higher frequency. With buses stopping by one by one, people will just wait for the next one.
Council is looking for land for affordable housing.
Redevelop the bus stations after the Mill Woods example, with several floors of affordable and entry-level housing plus, on the main floor, a storefront library, convenience store, drycleaner and community meeting room.
Isn’t that better than concrete and a lonely security guard?