As the price of gas skyrockets, this newsletter is about how I am pushing to reduce traffic and congestion while making public transit better. Read on how you can help...
But first... Have you seen this fantastic video from Translink? While they might look ‘empty’ at times, bus lanes can move more people than regular traffic lanes, creating a more efficient and sustainable transportation network.
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But first... Have you seen this fantastic video from Translink? While they might look ‘empty’ at times, bus lanes can move more people than regular traffic lanes, creating a more efficient and sustainable transportation network. |
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City Council will discuss both short-term and long-term priorities for faster, more reliable public transit at next week's Urban Planning Committee meeting. In the short-term, I would like to see parking removed on bus routes during peak hours so buses don't get stuck and delayed when traffic is particularly heavy. |
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Parking near bus stops is causing large delays for buses, particularly when there is heavy traffic congestion.
Every minute a bus isn't able to keep moving, it is not making money, it is not moving riders, and it's costing tax dollars. If we are able to clear a lane instead of having parking, our buses can keep moving efficiently and reliably. This is not a new idea. We have already seen this change take place in Edmonton. For instance, there are areas of Jasper Avenue that you can't park in during peak hours. Another example is the dedicated bus lane along 109 Street between Saskatchewan Drive and 72 Avenue during peak times. Edmontonians understand dedicated lanes and their benefits show why we should expand them. Since implementation of the bus lanes on 101 Street from Kingsway to 107A Avenue in the fall of 2025, overall on-time performance for Route 9 has improved notably, increasing from 72% to 77% on weekdays, 59% to 72% on Saturdays, and 79% to 87% on Sundays. While these improvements are partially attributed to service hours added to the route through the Annual Service Plan process, the new bus lanes have also contributed to this improvement. While these are preliminary results and for the full route, this provides an early indication that Transit Priority Measures implementation is having a positive impact. While they might look ‘empty’ at times, bus lanes can move more people than regular traffic lanes, creating a more efficient and sustainable transportation network. I've made a councillor inquiry to request the next steps. Can Administration provide information through outlining high-frequency transit routes and the associated on-street parking conditions, including supply, restrictions, and 2025 paid parking revenue. Further, outline potential impacts to parking revenue and transit efficiency arising from the removal of parking during peak periods, and identify where additional analysis would be required to inform implementation. (due date May 12th)
Further, I plan on moving the following motions as subsequent at the UPC meeting on March 23rd: 1) Advancing Bus Rapid Transit: That administration bring forward a funding package to fund the detailed design, infrastructure delivery, and operations of the B1, B2 semi-exclusive BRT Routes, to be considered as part of the 2027-2030 budget process and brought forward for discussion during the 2027-2030 capital and operating budget discussion.
2) Advancing Whyte Avenue Redesign: That the Administration bring forward a funding package for the planning and implementation of the Whyte Ave Corridor Renewal, aligning with the improvements described in the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy under "Key Action 7."Prioritize pedestrians on Whyte Avenue," furthering the implementation of overlapping segments of the proposed B1 and B2 semi-exclusive BRT routes.
I'm really looking forward to this discussion and I hope you are too. If you would like to see these efforts advance, I would encourage you to show your support using this tool to email City Council: https://coewebapps.edmonton.ca/contactcouncil/default.aspx |
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Urbanism in Times of War and Crisis: How Low-Tech Solutions Will Futureproof Our Life-Sized Cities In this keynote, Mikael Colville-Andersen draws on his urbanist observations about pandemic response and from living and volunteering in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion to explore what cities reveal about themselves when systems fail. Blending global observations from COVID-19 with front line dispatches from wartime Ukraine, this talk examines how urban life contracts, adapts and rebuilds under pressure. As the climate crisis accelerates, prevention alone is no longer enough. The urgent question is how we mitigate its impact on daily urban life. This keynote offers a clear, provocative framework for future-proofing our cities — not through complexity, but through fundamentals. |
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About the Speaker: Mikael Colville-Andersen has spent his career in Denmark and his documentary series, “The Life Sized City” highlights cities from around the world. In April 2022, Mikael was contacted by urban planning colleagues in Ukraine, asking if he could source used bikes to send to Ukrainian cities. Little did he know then that the project he would start would dominate his life well into 2023. His stories will help inspire you and your neighbours with new ideas on how we can change the urban landscape for the better. Mikael shows examples from cities as diverse as Medellin, Tokyo, Toronto, Mexico, Copenhagen, Cape Town - to name but a few - and calls the audience to action to follow the lead of urban citizens everywhere. As we face the greatest crisis in human history - climate change - it is important to look for lessons to learn from other recent and ongoing crises. |
The Alberta Government is attacking our freedom to read. Help fight for your freedom and tell Premier Smith that now more than ever we need more freedom to read, not less. You can't be strong and free without the freedom to read.
Here is my statement in support.
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Hawrelak park soft reopening is tomorrow - Friday March 13th! Grab your family and go down for a walk in our central park. The official welcome party and grand opening will be May 30th. (Learn more)
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Expect to see more infill for sale, not rent.
I've heard from a number of builders recently that they are moving away from the small scale rental and moving towards small scale units built for sale as individual units.
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Whether you are retired, looking for professional development at your job, or a student considering future careers, this is an incredibly valuable few hours of your time.
