The Pulse: June 14, 2021

After a year-long hiatus, passengers will be able to ride the historic High Level Bridge Streetcar across the river valley this summer — as long as enough Albertans are vaccinated.

Chris Ashdown, president of the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, which operates the streetcar, said the organization is preparing to have it up and running in conjunction with Stage 3 of the province's re-opening plan.

"We want to be in a position to be able to start as soon as we can once the stage starts," Ashdown said.

Stage 3, which includes lifting the capacity limit on entertainment facilities, is scheduled for two weeks after 70% of Albertans receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

In previous years, the streetcar's season began during the May long weekend. In 2020, the season was delayed until July, when the society announced it would not be operating for the year due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases. The start of this year's season was delayed once again, due to safety concerns related to COVID-19 and provincial health restrictions.

Ashdown said that current restrictions would allow the streetcar to operate at one-third capacity, but that being able to take so few passengers is not feasible for the all-volunteer society.

"We would be leaving a lot of people behind on the platform every time we do a trip," he said. "You still have the need for sanitizing and screening. It's just not economical for us."

The society has been busy conducting all of its preparations for the season, including technical tests of cars and tracks, and re-qualifying drivers in accordance with provincial laws. Ashdown said the process typically takes about a month, and the society is almost done with those requirements.

• City councillor and mayoral candidate Mike Nickel should be reprimanded and censured for violating the council code of conduct, says Edmonton's integrity commissioner, Jamie Pytel.
• City council has appointed a new city auditor, Hoa Quach. Quach, who is joining from his most recent role as Chief Audit Executive at Alberta Blue Cross, will start on July 5.
• A list of 18 cost saving and revenue generating measures released by the city as part of the Reimagine Services project will be presented to council for approval on June 22. The measures include paid parking at five city sites, reducing recreational programming and privatizing the city's golf courses.
• The controversial Mezzo condo development planned for Whyte Avenue has been abandoned by Westoak Development, reports CBC News.
• Edmonton police are investigating an attack against a Somali Canadian woman wearing a hijab on Friday night. At least six hate-motivated attacks on Black Muslim women and Muslim women of colour have happened in Edmonton in recent months, reports CBC News.
• Family and friends of Steven Nguyen, who was killed by Edmonton police on June 5, gathered on the Legislature grounds to remember him and demand answers. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is seeking witnesses to the fatal police shooting.
• Arcadia Brewing has partnered with local harm reduction organization Each and Every to take action against Edmonton's overdose crisis. The business now has Naloxone kits on site and is trained in using them.
• The provincial government announced it will be launching a new security grant to protect religious and cultural organizations from hate crimes. Critics say more resources are needed to address systemic racism.
• Albertans (aged 18 and older) who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can enter a lottery draw for a $1-million prize. Registration opens today and closes a week after 70% of Albertans have received a first dose.

More than $37 million in funding from the Capital City Downtown Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) would help Qualico de-risk its initial investment in the Station Lands project, administration says in a new report for city council's executive committee on June 14.

The city recommends $26.5 million for the 103A Avenue pedway, an underground pedestrian tunnel from the north end of Churchill LRT Station to the Station Lands site, with connections to the Royal Alberta Museum. First conceived of as part of the now defunct Galleria project, pedway construction began in 2016 with the shell north of 103A Avenue already built at a cost of $3.8 million.

Currently, the pedway is not eligible for CRL funding as "the opportunity to pay for the pedway ended when the Galleria project ended." As a result, administration recommends amending the CRL plan to include the pedway as a catalyst project. That would require provincial approval, however, and administration states that pursuing the proposed amendment is "not without risk."

Administration also recommends $24.3 million for publicly accessible amenity spaces at Station Lands, $10.6 million of which is for the first phase of development. Another $20 million in streetscape improvements is recommended to help "ensure street vibrancy is supported." Both would be part of the Green and Walkable catalyst project already identified in the CRL.

If all three recommendations are approved, funding contributed by the City of Edmonton through the CRL would total $70.8 million. Administration says "the effect on projected CRL finances is minimal."

The Capital Line South Extension project is ready for procurement and would extend the LRT another 4.5 kilometres from Century Park to the Heritage Valley Park and Ride at Ellerslie Road with a new station at Twin Brooks. Executive committee will consider the project's budget, an estimated $1.025 billion (which will require city council approval), at its meeting on June 14. The project has committed funding of $392 million and $300 million from the federal and provincial governments, respectively. The City of Edmonton would contribute the remaining $333 million.

A separate report provides an update on the $5.8 billion worth of LRT expansion projects underway, including Valley Line Southeast, Valley Line West, and the Metro Line extension from NAIT to Blatchford.

Here's what else is coming up at city council this week:

• To date, the Program and Service Review (PSR) project has completed 35 of 73 service reviews, with 87 of 185 recommendations implemented, and an estimated $30 million in cost avoidance and net savings identified. Administration said the PSRs have "created a culture of self-assessment and continuous improvement" at the City of Edmonton.
• If approved, the Facilities Off-Site Levies Bylaw would take effect on Jan. 1, 2022 and would impose a tax subdivisions in developing areas to help pay for the construction of fire halls. Administration expects to collect 40-45% of the estimated $185 million cost to build 12 new fire halls through the program.
• Executive committee will receive the 2020 annual reports and audited financial statements for all 13 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) on June 14.
• The developers of the proposed A1 Athletic Facility at 16420 26 Street NW, a location "not identified as a priority location for activation in The City Plan," are requesting $5-7 million from the City of Edmonton to help pay for road improvements and sanitary servicing. The project would feature outdoor fields and two inflatable domes covering several indoor fields.
• Two reports from the Edmonton Transit Service Advisory Board (ETSAB), on inclusive transit and transit use by vulnerable populations, include a number of recommendations such as implementing BIPOC-friendly human resources practices which could mean hiring a director of anti-racism and inclusion, de-escalating fare enforcement, and launching a training course for community volunteers to help vulnerable populations become fully-versed in the use of ETS services.
• An audit of five programs to support the City of Edmonton's environmental strategies - the Building Energy Retrofit Accelerator, Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator, Community Solar Program, Electric Vehicle Charger and E-Bike Program, and the Green Building Grant Program - found they are "performing as intended" with funding that is "secure and adequate to satisfy program demand."
• The audit committee will receive an update on the auditor's dashboard which shows that of 48 outstanding recommendations as of May 27, 12 are overdue. Since the last report on March 29, administration has closed six recommendations.

Meetings are streamed live on city council's YouTube channel.

Photo: Century Park Station in 2010 shortly before the South LRT extension opened. (City of Edmonton/Flickr)

In Episode 133 of Speaking Municipally, hosts Troy Pavlek and Mack Male talk about Arc, the new smart fare system rolling out this summer.

Arc is an electronic fare payment system for the Edmonton metropolitan region. The name "symbolizes forging a path between two points, much like how transit connects us to vital services, each other and our region," said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, branch manager of Edmonton Transit Service (ETS).

An Arc pilot will run in Edmonton, St. Albert, and Strathcona County from early July until Aug. 31 for adult regular fare users, U-Pass students, and transit staff across the region. You must sign up to participate in the pilot.

Arc cards should be available for purchase when phase one launches in the fall. Phase two, which will include youth, seniors, DATS riders, and others, will start in 2022.

Watch for the new myarc.ca website launching later this summer for more information.

Photo: Arc fare payment system illustration. (City of Edmonton)

• BioAlberta is hosting an Alberta Life Sciences Showcase on June 15. Sign up for an afternoon of live pitches and virtual networking "showcasing the best of what Alberta companies have to offer."
• Edmonton's largest annual volunteer fair is back on June 16. "Using the innovative virtual platform HopIn, volunteer hopefuls will be able to surf between virtual 'booths' manned by Edmonton non-profits and charitable organizations from the comfort of their own homes," says a press release.
• The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is hosting Hydrogen and Alberta's Energy Future on June 17, a panel session featuring three members of the Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB leadership team. General admission tickets are $25.
• The Startup TNT Investment Summit is on June 17, and will see at least $300,000 invested in local Edmonton and Calgary companies. Managing editor Emily Rendell-Watson will be hosting a casual chat with one of Alberta's leading startup founders at 4:30pm and the finalist pitches start at 5pm.

Thanks to Filip for sharing his photo with us!