The Pulse: April 4, 2022

The city is seeking public input on three proposed designs for the 100 Street Pedestrian Bridge, which is intended to "provide an accessible space for pedestrians and cyclists, without impacting vehicle traffic."

The "signature piece of infrastructure entering the downtown core" will go over McDougall Hill Road to connect the MacDonald Drive Promenade and the Funicular. The survey, which runs April 4 to 24, presents three design options: a timber bridge, a cable-stayed bridge, and a suspended bridge.

In a Twitter thread on the proposal, Conrad Nobert said the designs are undeniably striking, but asked: "Aren't we proposing to spend a fortune just so that cars can keep going fast once they crest the hill?" He wondered why the city wouldn't narrow 100 Street instead and install a cheaper crossing for people to walk and bike across.

On Episode 172 of Speaking Municipally, co-host Mack Male agreed with Nobert's assertion that "the only reason this design exists is so that we can keep cars flowing smoothly up and down that hill," and is thus an expensive subsidy for drivers, not a gift to pedestrians and cyclists.

Furthermore, he said, this is yet another example of making pedestrians go the long way around. "When I get off the funicular, I just want to cross the street. Why do I now have to take this incredible detour on an admittedly attractive-looking bridge? ... We prioritize getting from A to B for cars, and we never seem to do that for pedestrians, which is why I was quite frustrated to see this project."

Podcast co-host Troy Pavlek, an avid cyclist himself, allowed that the bridge was "forged in the pits of darkness of car culture," but he said he would rather have it than not.

"If what we get out of it is some world-class pedestrian infrastructure that gives us a view of our gorgeous river valley that we frankly can't see right now, I'm calling it a win."

The episode took a look at some other infrastructure-related issues as well, including the parking lot across from the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market and the Vision Zero Street Lab project proposed for Victoria Promenade, which Nobert also raised concerns about.

• A report going to city council's executive committee on April 13 suggests the High Level Bridge will require extensive rehabilitation — at a cost of between $135 million and $270 million — in order to extend its life for another 25 years. "It's not necessarily urgent repairs as much as we want to be proactive and do the repairs and the rehabilitation work before it becomes an issue," Pascale Ladouceur, branch manager of infrastructure and design with the City of Edmonton's integrated services department, told Global News.
• The city removed 77 mature trees near the Mount Pleasant Cemetery on Friday as part of a neighbourhood renewal project underway in Pleasantview. Spokesperson Tannis Nygren told CTV News there was no way to save the trees. "Construction of new sidewalks and separated bike lanes along 106 Street in Pleasantview will contribute to a continuous separated walking and biking corridor from 51 Avenue to Saskatchewan Drive, ultimately leading to Edmonton's River Valley," she said.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded on Saturday to help 26 people trapped on the Havoc ride at Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall. There were no injuries, CBC News reports. When it opened in April 2018, the ride was described as the first of its kind in North America and just the third in the world.
• With a goal and an assist in last night's game, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has reached 50 goals and 101 points on the season. He trails only Auston Matthews (51) in goals and Connor McDavid (105) in points.
• Dozens of people gathered at the Alberta Legislature on Saturday for a "Ditch the Draft Curriculum" protest, calling for the provincial government to reconsider implementing its new elementary school curriculum. Katherine Stavropoulos, press secretary for Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, told CBC News the government stands by its "transparent and open" year-long curriculum review process.
• During his weekly radio show on Saturday, Premier Jason Kenney called the federal government's latest plan to reduce emissions "nuts" and pledged to fight it "with everything we've got," reports CTV News. Kenney said he thought the plan would be "catastrophic" for the Canadian economy. The federal plan, released on March 29, aims to slash Canada's emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and will see the carbon price rise from $50 per tonne of emissions to $170 per tonne by 2030.

City council meets on April 4 with continuations on April 5 and 6. There is also a city council public hearing on April 5. Here are some of the key items on the agenda this week:

• Council is being asked to approve adjustments to the 2019-2022 capital budget, as well as funding commitments in the next capital budget that will support the delivery of the Edmonton-Strathcona County Footbridge, 124 Street renewal, and 50 Street CP rail grade separation. The total cost of these projects is $90.1 million, and the city will fund about half of that ($45.4 million) through the 2019-2022 budget. A further $13 million requires approval from the 2023-2026 budget, and $31.7 million will come from city partnerships. The 124 Street renewal project supports A Rebuildable City from the City Plan and would see full reconstruction between 111 Avenue and 118 Avenue; the 50 Street rail grade separation would "increase the capacity and reliability of the corridor to serve the increasing commuter and industrial traffic"; and the Edmonton-Strathcona County Footbridge aims to better connect the region as well as improve access to the river valley.
• City council will decide whether to approve $507,000 in ongoing funding for the aerial mosquito program to return it to 2020 levels. The annual aerial program funding was eliminated in 2020 as part of the Fall Supplementary Operating Budget Adjustment, so that council could provide a 0% tax increase for 2021 during the pandemic. It was reinstated in May 2021 on a one-time basis and now council will consider reinstating that funding on an ongoing basis. The program, which has existed since 1974, targets the pests to improve livability for Edmontonians and visitors during the warmer months. But not all Edmontonians are in favour of the use of pesticides to complete this work.
• Council will hear about the actions that the City of Edmonton can take, or already does, to support the calls for justice in the final report of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry. Three themes found that require action include: awareness building, addressing underlying causes, and Indigenous resurgence. Administration says it will continue collaborating with other orders of government, Indigenous governments, Edmonton police, grassroots organizations, and others to implement the actions required. There may be financial support needed from the city in the future to bolster these initiatives.

This week's calendar includes a panel on community-engaged scholarship, advice on estate planning, Amarjeet Sohi and Jyoti Gondek on climate change, a book club, an investment summit, and Ukrainian dance.

• April 4, 11am: Trendsetting Through Meaningful Partnerships: Community Engaged Scholarship at MacEwan University
• April 4-8: Estate Administration Week from the Edmonton Community Foundation
• April 6, 7pm: Edmonton and Calgary Mayors' Summit on Climate Change from the Edmonton Public Library
• April 6, 7pm: NextGen Book Club | Big Magic at Majesty & Friends
• April 7, 3:30pm: Startup TNT Cleantech Investment Summit Finale online from Calgary
• April 7-8: Shumka on Tour at the Jubilee Auditorium

Photo: Shumka on Tour performs in Edmonton on April 7 and 8 before touring Western Canada. (Ryan Parker Photography)