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Transit commission begins

St. Albert could be at the head of the table when it comes to its vote at a newly formed regional transit commission.
1310 TransitCommish01a 4791 km
SIGN ME UP — St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron, fourth from left, finishes signing her name to a symbolic memorandum of understanding to create a regional transit commission along with 13 other Edmonton-area mayors Thursday. The commission will help govern transit system operation and investment in the Edmonton region.

St. Albert could have the commanding voice at the Edmonton region’s new transit commission if it sticks to commuter transit, says a St. Albert councillor.

The 13 mayors of the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Board celebrated Thursday as they formally signed up to create a regional transit services commission.

St. Albert and Edmonton mayors Cathy Heron and Don Iveson have led a push in recent months to unite local governments under a regional transit commission. The province has chipped in $3.7 million to establish such a group. Sturgeon County and Morinville were the last two councils to join the initiative in August, which led to this week’s signing ceremony.

Edmonton-area councils invest hundreds of millions of dollars into transit, but all have their own transit systems – which often leads to the sight of St. Albert and Edmonton buses passing each other on St. Albert Trail half-empty, Iveson said. This commission could let communities condense the region’s nine transit systems into one so residents can ride across the region using a single bus pass.

“This is a huge milestone for collaboration, and I’m really pleased all the mayors and councils have stepped up for the big picture.”

Iveson said pooling resources on transit would help make this region more competitive with other places in North America that were already doing so. The 2016 Metro Mayors Alliance panel report also called for the creation of a regional transit group along with a joint group for economic development (seen in the new Edmonton Global group).

St. Albert Coun. Wes Brodhead, who is the acting chair of the working group setting up this regional commission, said Thursday's signing ceremony was an emotional moment for him, given his decades of work in public transit. Transit not only reduces congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, it also means getting to work, to the store and to family for many.

“More than anything, I see people getting on a bus and having a life.”

The commission now has to answer many basic questions about its operations, including what forms of transit it will cover and who will stay and who will go, Brodhead said. The recent introduction of smart-card technology could make issues like revenue sharing easier to puzzle out.

“I’d like to say it’ll be like an express bus, but I suspect it’ll be like a regional bus with many starts and stops,” Brodhead said.

The memorandum signed by the 13 mayors suggests that the commission would aim to save members money and reduce congestion and pollution, and will initially focus on fast, affordable, reliable commuter service between communities. Intra-city and LRT routes could come later. Brodhead said the goal is to create an efficient system that also allows communities to address local needs.

Any motions at the commission would have to be backed by two-thirds of its members representing two-thirds of its ridership and transit spending in order to pass. Brodhead said St. Albert will have the most influential vote if the group sticks with inter-municipal routes, as it has the most commuters. If the commission expands to all routes, Edmonton will have the most influence.

While transit-less communities like Morinville and Sturgeon County might have less of a voice at the commission, Brodhead said they should stick with it in case they get into transit later.

“The world is run by those who show up, and if you’re at the table, you have a voice.”

The commission working group will first meet next month, Brodhead said. He hoped the commission itself would be up and running by 2020.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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