Your turn: Vehicles for hire, transit-related art, reconciliation

This week's roundup of calls for public engagement includes a City of Edmonton survey about rideshare services and other vehicles for hire, as well as a couple of invitations to inspire some transit-related art and an opportunity in Sturgeon County to pledge action on reconciliation with Indigenous people.

Edmonton is surveying users and non-users alike about vehicles for hire until Sept. 24. That description includes taxis, limousines, and shuttles, but most of the questions are about rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, gauging satisfaction, safety, accessibility, and desired improvements. The information will inform updates to the Vehicle for Hire program and Bylaw 17400.

The vehicle-for-hire team is working on a comprehensive review, due in the first half of 2027. The last time the bylaw changed was in April 2025, when mandatory training was introduced. This survey is to gauge whether change is desired by riders and drivers alike, city spokesperson Aisha Siddiqui told Taproot by email.

In 2016, Edmonton became the first Canadian municipality to legalize Uber after more than a year of illegal operation.

This new survey notably cites Uber, Lyft, and R-Hero as examples of rideshare services in the city. Founded by Uday Kumar Anumanchineni, a former CEO of Alberta Co-op Taxis, R-Hero is locally owned and operated, as is RYDE.

Ayomikun Kayode of Atadel wanted to start his own rideshare service, but he told Taproot that the city makes it too hard and expensive for his company to do so. "We support strong safety standards, appropriate driver training, and proper regulation," he wrote in a Sept. 17 email. "What we were asking for was not an exemption from those responsibilities, but a more proportionate path for smaller operators to enter the market, prove themselves, and grow."

For now, he's focused on Atadel's other features, such as grocery, restaurant, retail, and package delivery — plus something new coming soon, he teased.

Fleets of one to 15 must pay an annual fee of $1,056, plus extra for rideshare-specific driver and vehicle licences, as well as a surcharge on each fare. For fleets of 51 or more, the base annual fee is $20,706.

Here are some other opportunities to provide input in the Edmonton metro region:

• Sept. 19: The artist team LeuWebb Projects is seeking public input for a work called Boundless at the Valley Line West Aldergrove/Belmead LRT station. They'll be at the Aldergrove Community League from 10am to 11am and 5pm to 7pm, and at the Belmead Community League from 2pm to 4pm. You can also submit your input on a form.
• Until Sept. 25: Applications are open for the council remuneration review advisory committee in Spruce Grove. The committee will study mayor and councillor pay in 2027 and submit a report to council.
• Until Sept. 25: Albertans can request a special ballot for the Oct. 19 referendum if they wish to vote by mail instead of in person. The deadline has been moved earlier than previously announced to ensure the ballots arrive by mail in time.
• Until Sept. 25: Parkland County is seeking online input on the River's Edge development area policies.
• Until Sept. 27: The City of Edmonton is seeking input on a rezoning application in Idylwylde at 7907 86 Avenue NW. The proposal is to rezone the land from small-scale residential to medium-scale residential, allowing for multi-unit residential development with commercial opportunities on the ground floor.
• Until Sept. 30: Applications are open for boards and committees in Morinville. There are openings on the assessment review board, the community services advisory committee, the Morinville library board, and the subdivision and development appeal board.
• Until Sept. 30: Applications are open for Community Initiative Grants in Strathcona County, with up to $25,000 available to non-profit organizations and up to $2,000 to residents, informal groups, and community leagues.
• Until Oct. 1: Sturgeon County is inviting residents, visitors, and staff to pledge an action for reconciliation in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
• Until Oct. 5: Applications are open for boards and committees in Sturgeon County, with openings on nine bodies.
• Oct. 5: The City of Leduc is holding a public hearing on amendments to its Municipal Development Plan at the Leduc Civic Centre starting at 5:30pm.
• Oct. 6: The City of Leduc is hosting a drop-in session on the latest draft of its land use bylaw at the City of Leduc Civic Centre from 4pm to 7pm.
• Oct. 6: Parkland County is holding a County Chat at Wabamun Jubilee Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Oct. 14: Parkland County is holding a County Chat at Keephills Community Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Nov. 12: Parkland County is holding a County Chat at Holborn Community Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Until Nov. 20: Parkland County is surveying residents on its climate adaptation plan
• Nov. 19: Parkland County is holding a County Chat at Holborn Community Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Nov. 23: Parkland County is holding a County Chat at Blueberry Community Hall from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
• Ongoing: Thou Art Here Theatre in Edmonton has put out a call for stories about using public transit to inform its Untitled Bus Play.
• Ongoing: YEG Chinatown Re:VITA is conducting a survey on housing and development in south Chinatown.
• Ongoing: The City of Edmonton is engaging with targeted parties on the proposed design for a new downtown park at 103 Street and 100 Avenue.

"Your turn" is Taproot's weekly collection of public engagement opportunities in the Edmonton region. Watch this space every week for opportunities to make your views known. If you know of a request for public input, send it to hello@taprootedmonton.ca.