Station at 40th Ave Feasible, But Shelved
Closing the loop on a campaign promise (and two previous posts from October of 2010 and February of 2012) I can report a mix of good and bad news after today’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discussion of the merits of adding a station between Southgate and Century Park.
From the report: land use around potential future LRT station at 40th Avenue. (Apartments in Blue, Petrolia Safeway site in Red.)
The good news: the report responding to my formal inquiry indicate that it is feasible to build a station at 40th Avenue while continuing to operate the LRT between Southgate and Century Park; Transportation also agreed that current Council policy on LRT design would call for more frequent placement of stations; and, the report confirms that a station would be relevant to a number of possible redevelopment sites in the neighbourhood.
The bad news: my fellow committee members did not support my motion to allow project to advance to budget to contend for conceptual design funding (roughly $100K) that would better nail down the costs of the project (estimated at $22 million ‘at the high end’ according to the General Manager of Transportation).
Sadly, the committee also nixed a motion to examine whether there are any other opportunities to add stations along the existing line. The argument was that they were unwilling to look at improvements to the current line until the rest of the LRT network is finished; I can see that point, but my vision is to make LRT work for as much of the City as possible, including allowing for enhancing our existing billion-dollar investment with a modest upgrade to make it relevant to areas it already travels through.
To be clear, I wouldn’t for a moment want this to come at the expense of LRT expansion elsewhere in the City. Instead, I suggested we might be able to piggy back this on a future expansion of the high-floor line for some cost efficiencies.
One other point worth flagging for future consideration is that the station, if and when one is built, would come with the expectation of changes in zoning and expanded development opportunity near the station and perhaps along 40th Avenue. There is a chicken and egg question in the distance, however, about how redevelopment will occur when this 45-year old area begins to turn over in future decades: with a station, it will evolve towards Council’s vision of modest increases in density, increased transportation choice, more opportunities for walkable neighbourhood businesses, and better city-wide access to the high schools and recreation centre. Without a station it will remain much the same.
But these questions, and which order to tackle them, will fall to a future Council.
6 thoughts on “Station at 40th Ave Feasible, But Shelved”
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Don, congratulations on a readable and informative blog; I wish more of your fellow councillors did the same thing.
With respect to more LRT stations, I’m in favour, with one caveat: that they be not as grandiose as some of the ones already built. If they were more like MacKenzie/Jubilee, or Stadium, and less like Southgate, I could live with that. I also hope that the “low-floor” lines don’t get too extravagant at their stations.
I appreciate that, in many of the cases I cited above, a large part of the development involved building bridges over adjacent roads. In the case of Southgate, I can’t help thinking that if the station was built 60 feet to the east, that would not have been necessary, and also would have reduced the traffic disruption at 51st Ave.
This is extremely disappointing and the big reason why I continue to drive downtown to work each day. I am not sure what the point of extending the LRT south was without providing accessibility to the residents of the communities between Southgate and Century Park. The line provides a major disruption to residents without providing any benefits.
can’t say I am surprised given the perception of.taking away priority of developing new extensions. But, would really appreciate this not falling off the agenda for future reconsideration.
Cheers, Tim
Thanks Don for the initiative in pushing for a 40 Ave LRT stop. The initial planning and consultation was a joke as it concentrated on major destinations rather then pick up of riders. The lack of park and ride is essential at Saville, Southgate, and Century Park. The feeder bus service is very weak and slow. If one misses the bus returning home from the LRT, it can take 25 minutes. Forget it. Traffic north on 122 St is constant. it needs more efficient bus service – direct from the Saville (not the east,then, north, then west route out of the station – ridiculous) I suggest more direct service on 122 St and less meandering neighbourhood tours. The majority of users at Saville drive. Century Park permanent parking is essential. Time is important to users. BUS SERVICE MUST BE REORGANIZED. We have a fast train served by slow buses.
I still think this is a tad piecemeal rather than focus on the entire line, and honestly more than a tad Southside biased.
Unquestionably LRT midpoint stations between Coliseum and Stadium, Stadium and Churchill have exactly the same, if not more justification, plus a 3 decade longer wait.
Plus midpoint stations between Coliseum and Belvedere, Belvedere and Clareview have a much higher density potential due to being essentially NIMBYless.
I do recognise that your tone has changed, Don, with this:
“Sadly, the committee also nixed a motion to examine whether there are any other opportunities to add stations along the existing line.”
But feel that the default in your mindset is still sitting firmly in your own ward.
I disagree with your interpretation but I appreciate your perspective, Jonny B. This is actually the only significant ward-specific infrastructure project I’ve tried to advance this term on Council, so I’m disappointed that it has been perceived by some as overly parochial. I do aim to balance the needs of the whole City: I like to say that I represent 70,000 people but work for all 817,498. Nonetheless, perhaps a better strategy would have been to start by looking at all options for station additions along the existing line.