The plan that will bring Edmonton’s LRT to St. Albert’s doorstep received an early vote of confidence last week as Edmonton city council approved the concept plan for the northwest LRT line.
That approval also produced a conceptual estimate of what it will cost to build the line, which will run from NAIT to the proposed Campbell Park Transit Station and Park and Ride, at $1.5 billion.
“What has been approved is basically the plan that relates to the station location, alignment of the LRT, the land impacts or requirements and a cost estimate that’s a conceptual estimate,” said Erum Afsar, the project manager for the northwest LRT.
The decision affects St. Albert because Edmonton wants to build the northwest line out to what will be a shared transit facility between St. Albert and Edmonton at Campbell, hosting Edmonton’s LRT station and St. Albert’s park and ride. St. Albert also helped fund Edmonton’s concept study on the northwest line and participated in its development. Edmonton Transit representatives attended a St. Albert town hall on regional transit and LRT earlier this year.
St. Albert city council has also approved funding for a study that would look at how an LRT line would run through St. Albert in the future. Any such line would start where Edmonton’s northwest line ends.
But it will be a minimum of 10 years before Edmonton city council even looks at how it will fund the $1.5-billion cost. Edmonton must first finish construction of its southeast and west lines before it can begin examining the northwest line in more detail.
“It really is just a plan, approved by council that has no funding in place to take it to the next step,” said Afsar. “There is no funding approved.”
Catherine Kloczkowski, a spokesperson for transportation and planning, said Edmonton is committed to finish all LRT work by 2040.
“We’re going to be waiting for (the northwest line) to become a priority project and that’s something that’s guided by council,” said Kloczkowski. Once that occurs, detailed design work can begin, she added.
Mayor Nolan Crouse applauded Edmonton council’s decision, saying it brought certainty to homeowners and property owners along the 11 kilometres of track. It also benefits St. Albert residents, he added.
“It’s brought certainty for St. Albertans who know there is a plan now and it’s a matter of making sure the City of Edmonton funds it,” said Crouse. “There’s also the advocacy role we can play to push the next council to make it happen.”
But he doesn’t expect St. Albert will help fund any of the capital construction costs for the northwest LRT.
“It’s not in our 10-year capital plan,” said Crouse. “I think it would be a real stretch to be involved in the capital side of that. We’re involved in the park and ride, not the LRT.”
St. Albert’s own LRT study is even in danger, as Coun. Cam MacKay filed on April 29 a notice of motion to use the $500,000 for the LRT study to fund a train whistle cessation project. That motion will be debated on Tuesday.
