Change the Valley Line route
Plans for Edmonton’s Valley Line are becoming an election issue not only for nearby communities but for all of the city. Here’s why:
1. Councillors ignored the city’s own regulations, policies and sustainability plans in approving this route.
An environmental assessment should be done when options are still open, according to the city’s guide to environmental review requirements. This ensures environmental impact is considered in decisionmaking.
In this case, council approved the Valley Line three years before an environmental assessment was done.
And now the city is disregarding the environmental impact assessment, saying the process has gone too far to turn back.
The Sept. 11 public hearing on the assessment focused on construction details and ignored environmental concerns.
The Valley Line also runs against the city’s environmental policy and its 2011 The Way We Green plan. A key objective of the latter is: “The city protects, preserves and enhances the North Saskatchewan River Valley and ravine system as Edmonton’s greatest natural asset.”
These rules, plans and policies were implemented precisely to save the valley from transportation pressures.
2. The Valley Line involves destruction of the river valley.
While most Edmontonians regard the valley as our greatest asset, the Valley Line presents, as the environmental assessment notes, “major potential adverse impacts.”
Among the impacts listed are disruption or permanent loss of habitat for nine endangered or threatened animal species, including peregrine falcons and barred owls, and clearcutting along the south riverbank.
The report also notes the complete obstruction for four years of animal corridors on both sides of the river, and construction of access roads near both riverbanks.
The proposed bridge would constitute the fourth major construction site in Edmonton’s river valley, along with Terwillegar, Walterdale and twin Anthony Henday bridges.
If we value our valley, the Valley Line should not proceed.
3. The costly tunnel and LRT bridge will affect all taxpayers.
Cutting into the north riverbank is one of the costliest elements of the LRT project, partly because the bank is pocketed with old coal mines.
The new bridge has been estimated to cost at least $65 million.
Both elements could be eliminated or mitigated if another route were chosen using an actual transportation corridor. The savings would be immense.
One option is to use the existing High Level Bridge LRT crossing, then run the line east along Whyte Avenue or 23rd Avenue.
Unlike the Valley Line, these options would serve high-density areas. Kristine Kowalchuk , organiz er, Save Edmonton’s Downtown Footbridge