City votes to increase airport bus fare, maintain service

Travellers to the Edmonton International Airport will soon have to pay $10 to take the bus to catch their plane, a stop-gap measure to keep the service going until a regional solution is found.

Council’s community service committee Monday also voted to recommend council allocate an additional $125,000 from the general budget to maintain frequency, but only until April 30. Currently, a trip on Route 747 is $5.

“There has to be some urgency around this,” said Mayor Don Iveson, hoping Leduc County, the City of Leduc and perhaps Beaumont will all come together to create a south-side solution by the time the new airport outlet mall opens in May.

That mall is expected to create at least 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs, not just for Leduc residents, but for people across the region.

It’s expected commercial activity around the airport will continue to grow.

The $10 fare would be valid to continue travelling on the Edmonton Transit system. It would be $7 for anyone who already has a monthly or other bus pass. The monthly fee for those who work at the airport would be unchanged.

Edmonton’s transit advisory board spoke in support of that change saying maintaining service levels is critical.

They said the increase in fare was a good trade-off. They would also like to see the service better promoted and easier to use.

Spending $7,000 a year to advertise a $2-million a year service isn’t enough, said Sean Lee, a member of the board.

But “frequency is key to effective service,” he said. “It’s not a nice-tohave or a novelty.”