Update on Regional Transit
On September 7th and 12th, Executive Committee and City Council had in-depth discussions around the concept of Regional Transit. Planning for a Regional Transit Service has been underway for years by the Edmonton Metropolitan Transit Service Commission, which is governed by eight elected officials - one from each of the member municipalities including Edmonton. If brought to life, the Phase One Service Plan would include improvements to regional transit, connecting Edmontonians to regional municipalities such as Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont, Leduc, andDevon, as well as some rapid crosstown routes that are Edmonton-specific. The City of Edmonton would pay for portions of routes that travel through and within Edmonton, while other partner municipalities would pay for their fair share.
During the conversation at Committee and Council there were a lot of questions about what regional transit would look like, what benefits would there be for the City of Edmonton to participate, and of course, how much would it cost. After hearing from a wide variety of speakers, and listening to questions from my Council colleagues, I voted in favour of the City taking the next step and preparing an unfunded service package for consideration during the 2023-2026 budget deliberations.
My decision to support moving forward with regional transit came down to a few things:
I have always supported the notion of regional transit - there are benefits for the City and region, shared value through collaboration with economies of scale, and hopefully an expansion of opportunities and investment in the Capital Region area. Transit is a foundation piece to achieving our vision of a prosperous region.
Our ward borders regional municipalities like Leduc and Beaumont, and is near regional industrial sectors including the airport. During the campaign, I talked to many residents who live in Karhiio but who work in the neighbouring regions or who have family members who live in the region but go to school/universities in Edmonton. I heard from them a desire for better and broader connectivity through public transportation between our city and neighbouring municipalities. Such a network would increase mobility of goods and employment, connecting Edmontonians to key areas in the Capital Region, like the airport. For us all to succeed economically, we need greater mobility options - this helps to attract and retain talent in the area.
In Ward Karhiio, one of the biggest challenges we hear from residents is the general need for more accessible and connected transit. For many, public transportation is their only means of getting around to jobs, grocery, schools, appointments etc. The regional transit model proposed builds our capacity and adds to transit connectivity. I believe this will be an improvement to the existing system, which is not working for many people.
Greenlighting this regional transit at this stage, where we will still require budget approval during the deliberation period in November/December, presents us with a better opportunity to talk in more concrete terms, and allows us to ensure the value of our money by including mandates for performance measures, and determining our non-negotiables in service delivery.
I do believe at this point, given the conversations and diverse perspectives shared to date, that the motion that was passed is the most viable and cost-effective option for moving forward with regional transit. We still have many questions, as do other partner municipalities, but I do believe in this collaborative approach and the benefits it will bring to the City. As a major stakeholder at the table, the City can bring its leadership to shape regional transit and continuously improve the model to benefit everyone.
At the end of the day, this isn't about just one line of business like transit, but a bigger picture about our commitment as a City to a regional approach to support greater growth, economic development, and coordination. Regional collaboration takes time to establish, and this transit shift is a key milestone to bring that broader vision to life.
