The Pulse: Dec. 7, 2023

A month after the Valley Line Southeast LRT opened, trains are starting to run at the five-minute intervals originally promised for the line, at least sometimes.

When the city announced the opening of the line, it said the trains would start by running at 10-minute intervals during peak hours, instead of five-minute intervals. ETS said this was done to demonstrate reliability and was based on lessons learned from other municipalities. TransEd has now started running trials of five-minute service during weekday peak hours, Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, branch manager for Edmonton Transit Service, told Taproot.

"During this period of testing, frequency may not always be every five minutes; for example, service may be pulled back to every 10 minutes to enable TransEd and the City of Edmonton to monitor any trends and make necessary adjustments as they arise," Hotton-MacDonald said in an emailed statement. "The website and trip planning tools will be updated once five-minute weekday peak hour service is permanently integrated into regular service."

Hotton-MacDonald said there isn't a timeline for when the frequency change will become permanent. She added service has run relatively smoothly since launch, but there will continue to be adjustments for all road users.

"ETS is consistently working with TransEd to listen to rider feedback and to optimize the rider experience as much as possible," Hotton-MacDonald said. "We also recognize there is a learning curve associated with the new line for riders, motorists, and pedestrians. We're confident people will adjust if they obey the rules of the road, as well as all signs and signals."

Photo: Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast LRT is running trials with trains running at five-minute frequencies during peak hours. (Tim Querengesser)

• Coun. Tim Cartmell said he plans to present a motion on Dec. 12 for a pilot project to test barriers or turnstiles at transit stations. The motion will recommend introducing the change at two LRT stations for two years. Edmonton Police Service Supt. Keith Johnson suggested access control, like turnstiles, is "not the be-all-end-all" but does "limit the ability for people to use a space for illegitimate purposes." Police data shows there have been more than 500 reported cases of violence at LRT stations in Edmonton so far this year, including two high-profile violent attacks at the Coliseum LRT Station in November.
• Administration presented council with a plan to save money by giving partial control of the Edmonton Valley Zoo to a non-profit fundraising group called the Valley Zoo Development Society. In January, council asked administration for a range of options to reduce the zoo's reliance on tax funding. Councillors Anne Stevenson and Keren Tang said they still want to see a wider range of solutions. Running the zoo is expected is to cost the city $7 million this year and generate $2.8 million in revenue.
• Postmedia obtained three separate disciplinary decisions dated Nov. 3 issuing reprimands or docked pay for Edmonton Police Service constables who admitted to driving drunk while off duty. The decisions involve Const. Dennis Rix and Const. Adam Donnelly, who were both charged under the Traffic Safety Act, and Const. Natasha Green, who pleaded guilty to a criminal charge. Green, who drove drunk down Anthony Henday Drive in May 2022, was given a one-year driving prohibition and a $1,000 fine. She has since undergone treatment and returned to work.
• The city is encouraging residents to minimize holiday waste this season. Suggestions include giving experience-based gifts rather than physical gifts, buying from holiday markets rather than ordering online, and using fabric bags or newspaper instead of new wrapping or packaging. Edmontonians are also reminded that some items, including batteries and broken Christmas lights, need to be disposed of safely at Eco Stations. You can use the city's WasteWise App to look up waste items and find sorting instructions.
• The SuperTrain project, a residency program offered by SNAP in partnership with the Edmonton Arts Council and Pattison Outdoor Advertising, has come to an end. During the project, artists wrapped LRT cars with their designs, which all explored the theme of environmental stewardship. Local artists Helen Gerritzen and Kyla Fischer unveiled their design this month, Michelle Campos Castillo and Roger Garcia unveiled their design in September, and Ambrose Cardinal unveiled her design in May.
• The Style Experience FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup is happening at Commonwealth Stadium on Dec. 9 for the second consecutive year in Edmonton. Preparation took more than 350 hours over 40 days, with 116 truck loads of snow brought in so far. Gates open at 1pm, and anyone attending the event is encouraged to arrive early. Parking on streets around the stadium will be restricted, but free park-and-ride will be available at various locations.
• The Edmonton Elks have signed American wide receivers Danny Davis III and Jerminic Smith. Davis spent 2017-2021 at the University of Wisconsin, where he totalled 131 receptions for 1,642 yards and 14 touchdowns in 51 games. Smith is returning to the CFL after spending two seasons playing for the Frisco Fighters in the Indoor Football League, recording 143 receptions for 1,813 yards and 33 touchdowns over 31 career games.

In a first for Edmonton, Marigold Infrastructure Partners is using a large-scale gantry crane originally built for a project in Dubai to build more than two kilometres of elevated track for the Valley Line West LRT, segment by segment.

The west leg of the Valley Line project includes a section that's roughly 2.1 kilometres long where the track will be elevated above existing roadways. The section will connect the West Edmonton Mall transit centre and the Misericordia Community Hospital stop.

The gantry is purpose-built for this task, said Randy Bowman, the project's gantry superintendent.

"With the machine, it's one span at a time, and the machine moves itself," Bowman told Taproot. "So it's less equipment, less logistics, less interruption to the people, the traffic, everything. So the machine gets very efficient at that point."

Efficiency and construction methods used to build the second half of the Valley Line are likely top-of-mind for Edmontonians, who experienced three years of delays on the southeast leg due to faulty piers, river obstructions, supply chain delays, and more.

In response to concerns that the pier problems might reappear, Marigold said in a statement that its teams "monitored the situation on the southeast portion of Valley Line LRT." It said it recognizes its project has similar infrastructure, but "we're being prudent and reviewing our plans to help ensure the infrastructure we're delivering is safe."

The gantry has been shut down until March, when Marigold will resume moving east along the line towards Misericordia.

"Once we get there, then we reconfigure the supports of the machine — the blue beams that everybody sees out there that the machine stands on — we'll reconfigure those, so that the machine can work in the other direction," Bowman said. "Then we'll walk the machine back over the bridge that we just built all the way back to the West Edmonton Mall station."

Here are opportunities to offer your thoughts on civic matters, including a survey on business improvement areas, a project that could increase affordable housing units in Woodcroft, and a draft design of neighbourhood renewal in Overlanders/Homesteader.

• Business Improvement Areas Survey (patron) and Business Improvement Areas Survey (business) — The City of Edmonton is using two surveys to understand how patrons and business owners perceive activity within its 13 business improvement areas, including the business mix and safety. The surveys close Dec. 12.
• Overlanders/Homesteader Neighbourhood Renewal (refine) — The city is inviting Overlanders/Homesteader residents to review a draft renewal design to ensure it reflects the project's vision and guiding principles. An online survey is open until Dec. 13.
• Brentwood Homes Rezoning (advise) — The city is reviewing an application to rezone 13503 and 13743 115 Avenue NW in the Woodcroft neighbourhood. The rezoning would allow for multiple buildings with varying heights of up to 10 storeys; it would also create up to 750 residential units and some commercial opportunities. The area currently contains row housing and low-rise apartments. The developer says the project will result in 500 additional affordable housing units and lay a foundation for the community's future. Residents can ask the project planner a question or share their thoughts until Dec. 17.

More input opportunities

• By Dec. 13: Towards 40 Program — 40 Street and Hermitage Road in Edmonton
• By Dec. 31: Public Washroom Survey in Edmonton
• By Dec. 31: Public Engagement Feedback Survey in Edmonton

Photo: The existing Brentwood Townhomes development in Woodcroft next to Coronation Park, looking southwest. (Brentwood Community Development Group)