Traffic nightmare looms on 50th St.
City councillors look for answers as major projects threaten to make congestion worse
City councillors grappled Wednesday with a looming traffic headache on 50th Street, already a congested truck and commuter route that’s going to get worse when Valley Line LRT construction starts on nearby 75th Street.
Council already decided the next priority infrastructure project is the train crossing on 50th Street near 82nd Avenue, which regularly backs up traffic for blocks.
But if the federal government follows through on a suggested $1-billion stimulus package and wants the work done now, construction on 50th Street risks raising roadblocks in all directions.
Council’s transportation committee got an update from administration Wednesday, but no clear answers.
Traffic counts suggest 50th Street from Whitemud Drive to 90th Avenue should be widened to six lanes from four, said transportation staff.
But the city’s transportation plan says it will only widen roads to accommodate goods and services movement, not to deal with rush-hour congestion.
“Let’s be honest with ourselves and sort this one out,” said Coun. Ben Henderson, worried that failure to fix the problem encourages short-cutting through neighbourhoods in his ward.
“Everyone says you can just keep on widening roads and that will fix congestion. Well, all it does is encourage more people to use that road. It just jams back up again. The idea that we had in the ’60s and ’70s that we widen the roads and that fixes the problem only makes traffic problems worse.”
In the long term, Edmonton hopes the Valley Line LRT will offer frustrated commuters a better option, Henderson said. But council still needs to sort out its major truck routes.
Henderson said 50th Street doesn’t go across the river because people decided they didn’t want to give up another ravine to build a bridge.
But 75th Street doesn’t let trucks through between 98th and 90th avenues because of objections from nearby residents.
There’s no easy answer, Henderson said.
“People need to be bracing for change. It will be different.”
Construction on the Valley Line LRT is expected to start this spring and continue until 2020.
Coun. Ed Gibbons said trains coming out of the Alberta’s Industrial Heartland are averaging 220 cars long. Rail traffic is only expected to increase.
“I think this is a disaster waiting to happen during construction on 75th Street. Good luck.”
City Manager Linda Cochrane said her staff will take a more strategic look at traffic in the area and report back.