Councillors approve transit strategy, want faster implementation 

EdmontonSun.com
July 05, 2017
Elise Stolte 

Edmonton's city councillors voted to support a massive bus route overhaul Wednesday and speed up implementation for it to be ready by 2020.

Transit officials originally asked for five or more years to roll out this new approach across the city, tackling the city quadrant by quadrant.

But Coun. Andrew Knack convinced colleagues the system can't wait — it's losing riders now.

"It's a system that's running inefficiently ... and it's one of our biggest budget items. People want to see that run effectively," said Knack.

"And for the existing riders, it just creates so much uncertainly. If we follow the original timeline, it could be up to five and a half years of uncertainty. We can't be doing that."

The new transit vision will see frequent service on main arterial routes where Edmonton wants to see increased population density. In the suburbs, service will concentrate on express routes with transit priority measures on key roads to get commuters to their destinations more quickly.

In all parts of the city, community bus routes will be straightened, with transit officials holding public meetings in each area to get input on which local destinations need to be connected.

Progress Alberta and the transit union said Edmonton Transit was planning the "uberization" of transit, scheming to lay off bus drivers and partner with Uber to deliver service instead.

Mayor Don Iveson said that's "been totally blown out of proportion."

There is no deal to hire Uber and lay off bus drivers. But Edmonton does need to find a solution for people who can't walk the extra distance to the more efficient bus lines.

At council's urban planning committee meeting, more than a dozen speakers put several options on the table, including a publicly run version of Uber carpool.

RideCo., a Waterloo-based technology company, presented its mobile phone-based app system which has already used taxis and vans to schedule trips and offer door-to-door service through pilot projects in other cities.

A one-year pilot in Milton, Ont., moved more people for less cost to the public when compared to the public transit system and saw drivers start to leave their cars behind, said founder Matthew Monteyne, who flew to Edmonton to give his pitch.

"It can be a first and last mile solution," said Monteyne, describing a system that re-calculates the fastest way to serve the most passengers in real time as people make requests of the system. It could shuttle passengers to LRT stations and rapid bus networks from low-density suburbs.

Councillors left the option of private partnerships on the table, but asked administration to look at a public dial-a-bus option, too.

They'll also look at increasing resources for DATS, Edmonton's public transport dedicated to serving people with mobility challenges, and a partnership with seniors not-for-profit and for-profit transportation companies. They'll report back in April 2018.

"The moment we begin to talk about private provision of a public service, I get nervous," said Coun. Ben Henderson, before supporting the strategy.

It goes to council for a final vote Tuesday. Iveson and councillors Knack, Henderson and Loken voted in favour of the strategy at committee. Coun. Mike Nickel voted against, saying rolling this out too quickly could cause problems.