Our speaking notes to Urban Planning Committee
Good morning Urban Planning Committee Councillors, my name is Ryan Jacques and I am a board member with Paths for People. As you may know, we are a local volunteer-run nonprofit that strives to help Edmonton become a friendlier place to walk, roll and cycle.
The reality is Edmonton is very sprawled in its built form, and Paths for People believes that Bus Rapid Transit and Transit Priority Measures have a key role to play in bridging the physical gap between Edmontonians. This improved connectivity would make transit a more appealing and practical option for many Edmontonians, reducing car dependency and in turn supporting walkability, active modes to start and end transit trips, and accessibility as a whole through a more space-efficient mode of transportation. Paths for People strongly supports utilizing BRT and Transit Priority Measures to bolster our Mass Transit network.
Paths for People has teamed up with the Old Strathcona Business Association, the French Quarter Business Improvement Area and Edmonton Transit Riders, as well as in collaboration with community leagues along Whyte and with the public through our ongoing survey, to form the grassroots coalition of Prioritize Whyte Ave. We have come together to advocate for capital investments in public spaces along Whyte Ave, with a particular focus on Whyte Ave between 109th Street and 83rd Street, to be included in the upcoming municipal budget. You have an important opportunity today to set the stage for Fall Budget discussions, ensuring that Council has the full suite of options when making budget decisions. If we do not at least get these options on the table today, we rule out the possibility of achieving project efficiencies and an improved Whyte Ave for the 2027-2030 budget cycle.
As such, we encourage you to support a motion in reference to item 7.1 directing Administration to bring forward a composite capital profile for delivery of BRT priorities for consideration as part of the 2027-2030 capital budget. <pause> BRT route B2 along Whyte Ave affords the City the opportunity to vastly improve transit service on one of Edmonton’s (and the region’s) key transit corridors. Whyte Ave is notorious for traffic congestion especially during rush hour, an unpleasant experience for everyone involved - drivers, transit users, and pedestrians alike. Busses may make efficient use of road space but it’s not much use if they are stuck in traffic behind personal vehicles, many of which are single-occupancy and can’t reliably keep a schedule to attract passengers. The potential for BRT to provide a separate space for enhancing emergency vehicle movement is also important for access - in the case of Whyte Ave, access to the University Hospital, Edmonton Fire Stations 3 and 6, and other emergency services. Investing in BRT is a high-level way for the City to support labour mobility, community-building, and all 4 City Plan strategic goals: Urban Places, Healthy City, Climate Resilience, and Regional Prosperity.
In item 7.3 coming up soon, Administration has identified other locations in the mobility assessment prioritization process, so why the focus on Whyte Ave? It has not received renewal in decades, with both transit and public realm needing significant improvements for a thriving business district and civic space as Edmonton grows toward 1.5 million residents. If transit and public realm improvements are split into separate budget cycles, we may plunge Whyte Ave into a decade of on-again, off-again construction that is highly impactful to businesses and all modes of transportation. We encourage committee members to direct Administration to incorporate public realm improvements within the aforementioned capital profile. We need to marry these two important city-building projects into a single capital profile, so that Council can seriously consider them as part of the 2027-2030 budget cycle.
As well, Paths for People has heard concerns around a potential long-term Mass Transit gap in northwest Edmonton. BRT route B1 already follows a similar route to phase 2 of the proposed Metro Line Northwest LRT extension to Castle Downs. If route B1 is extended west along 153rd Ave to Naki (na-gee) Transit Centre, perhaps this is an opportunity to test demand for future LRT while providing medium-term Mass Transit access for the northwest.
With all this geopolitical uncertainty and rising prices at the gas pump, investing in quality transportation options and an improved public realm should be top of mind for securing an environmentally sustainable, financially sustainable, and overall resilient future for our city. Thank you and on behalf of Paths for People we appreciate the opportunity to speak, let’s make room for Fall Budget discussions to Prioritize Whyte Ave, and advance BRT and Transit Priority Measures!
Header photo source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_City_Council#/media/File:Edmonton_City_council_chambers.jpg
