On the agenda: Night mayor, lights for bikes, cleaning the core
This week, councillors are set to discuss a nighttime economy strategy, upgrades for lights on active transportation routes, and enhanced cleaning services in the core.
There is a community and public services committee meeting scheduled for April 8, an urban planning committee meeting scheduled for April 9, an executive committee meeting scheduled for April 10, and a special city council meeting scheduled for April 12.
Here are key items on the agenda:
- A report created by Explore Edmonton and Night Time Economy Solutions recommends Edmonton should appoint a night mayor and a nighttime economy alliance as part of its night economy strategy. The recommendations are in a report scheduled to be presented at council's executive committee meeting on April 10. The strategy recommends the alliance collects data on bars, clubs, and businesses, counts the footfall traffic at these businesses, and identifies locations where street art could improve vibrancy, among other actions. The strategy also recommends the Edmonton Police Service consider stationing police in areas of dense nightlife activity and reported crime. Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, told CBC she believes the number of officers out at night has changed in recent years. "Our downtown beat officers are there during the day, but what that presence looks like at night has really changed since COVID," McBryan said. "I'd be really curious to find out, even compared to 2018, how many officers we have out on a typical Friday or Saturday night." Administration said council could start a night mayor and nighttime economy alliance with a one-time cost of $50,000, and an ongoing cost of $200,000 annually for the night mayor's salary and benefits.
- Administration estimates it would need between $20 million and $65 million to upgrade the lighting on 86 kilometres of its active transportation routes to meet current requirements. The lower end of the range would see lighting improved on district connector routes, while the higher end of the range would include neighbourhood routes. Administration said council could fund the lighting upgrades through the $100 million active transportation fund that was approved in the 2023-2026 budget, but that could mean up to 60 kilometres of new active transportation infrastructure would be cancelled. A report detailing the lighting enhancement options is scheduled to be presented at the urban planning committee meeting on April 9.
- Administration said it applied for roughly $13 million in provincial grants to continue its enhanced cleaning services in the core, but the applications were unsuccessful. The money would have enhanced the Centre City team's budget, which cleans and maintains the public realm in downtown and adjacent neighbourhoods. In a report scheduled to be presented at council's community and public services committee meeting on April 8, administration said the team responded to more than 10,000 issues between June 2023 and January 2024. Public engagement surveys, however, suggest people may not have noticed a difference. Administration conducted surveys in March 2023, before the enhanced service started, and in September 2023, about three months in. Results? The public perception of cleanliness was about the same and the perception of safety was worse in September. Administration said it plans to stretch the program funding to the end of October instead of July, as originally budgeted.