LRT route to Mill Woods approved
15
2009
I am happy to report that Council has approved the proposed route for the southeast LRT extension to Mill Woods. This is the biggest step the City has made toward making LRT in Mill Woods a reality since the area was developed 30 years ago.
LRT has been my top priority since I first ran for Council in 2004. It has incredible potential to re-shape our city now and for the future, and I think today will stand as a landmark decision by Council.
The route to Mill Woods is the result of a motion I made to expedite route planning for an extension to Mill Woods. City staff have been evaluating possible routes for over a year, and have consulted with hundreds of citizens. I think we’ve picked the best possible route, and I’m excited to get started on the next steps.
As I have described in the past, the proposed route will travel from Mill Woods Town Centre north along 66 Street/75 Street, with a park-and-ride at Whitemud Drive and 75 Street. It will then travel north to WP Wagner School, rise over the rail yard and Argyll Road, and come down onto 83 Street, with a stop at Bonnie Doon. It will then travel north, by Holyrood and into Strathearn, turning west onto 95 Avenue and joining Connors Road. It will pass the Muttart Conservatory and cross the river into east Downtown, meeting the current system at Churchill.
Most citizens I spoke to strongly supported this route. A few concerns were raised, but I am confident that these can be addressed as we move forward. The next step is more detailed engineering to determine the exact alignment of the route. We could be ready to build the line in just a few years, but that will depend on provincial and federal funding. As you may know, only five cents of every tax dollar paid by Edmontonians comes to the City, so we cannot afford to go it alone on a project like this.
However, getting a route in place is a big step. We have a much better case to take forward to the provincial and federal governments now that Council has strongly affirmed our vision for the LRT system.
Council has also approved the proposed LRT route to the west end. That proposal was more controversial, but I supported it, and I think it represents a better chance to achieve our vision for Edmonton’s future than the other proposed routes to the west.
I felt honoured to be on Council today. Our vision is bold, and we’re taking real steps forward.
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