Smart Cards, parking, pride and downtown revitalization

Some questions that come in on social media really can’t be answered properly via those channels, so I’m going to try to do this regularly. You can read my previous social media Q&As here and here.

1)

@davecournoyer Proposed, yes, but ca’t recall any serious efforts.Also worth pointing out @doniveson advctng 4 it too http://t.co/jbvrEhj5yt

— Omar Mouallem (@omar_aok) September 30, 2013

This isn’t a question per se, but it’s worth addressing.

As part of my leadership on the Capital Region Board Regional Transit Committee, I secured not only partnerships with Strathcona County and the City of St. Albert, but funding from both to help pay for the Smart Card system. As a direct result, we’re planning for the Smart Card system to be put out to tender this January, to be implemented by all three municipalities by 2015. 2015 might seem like a long way away, but rushing the system to be in place any earlier would require sole-sourcing the project and risk not getting the good value for tax dollars that we would get from a competitive bid process.

I’m also cautious about what happens if we rush the implementation of this system. Calgary rushed their system and basically had to start over.

[Read more background in a previous post here.]

2) Pride Week (asked via my Facebook Page) – Why doesn’t the City of Edmonton support, promote, and embrace The Pride Festival like it does all the other festivals in our city?

Pride week is an important event in our city, and one that I strongly support. Just last year, the Arts Council increased the festival’s operating grant from $20,000 to $35,000 in recognition that Pride is a growing festival and that additional resources are required to cope with the large turnouts we’re seeing. Pride week is certainly a success story, and I would love to see it continue to grow.

Michael Phair recently told me that the city’s first Pride parade, more than three decades ago, spanned only one city block. Many feared that if they walked any further, they might get attacked. Mayor Mandel was a passionate supporter of LBGTQ communities and the Pride festival, and as mayor, I would continue in his footsteps. Whether it’s by participating in the Mayor’s Pride brunch or marshalling the Pride Parade, I would be there with bells on.

3)

@doniveson what are your thoughts regarding the private parking at ETS stations? Should folks have to pay if they have a bus pass already?

— Mark Mandrusiak (@mmandru) September 20, 2013

Yes: over and above the cost of riding transit, on average, it costs $500-$1000 per year to maintain a parking stall — there’s snow removal, security, lighting, and so forth. It costs roughly $10,000 to build a paved parking spot with proper drainage, and up to $50,000 to build a parkade stall. Personally, I think that given these prices, there should be some cost-recovery process, but I also recognize that paying for parking is sometimes tough for some Edmontonians to swallow.

To strike a balance, we created a reserved-stall program in some lots. You can pay for and reserve a specific stall, or park for free on a first-come, first-served basis. Over time, I think we will see increased parking around LRT stations provided through private operators, which is a better way to supply the needed parking capacity.

That said, I have managed to get our neighbours to commit to contribute to pay for a portion of several of these parking lots. St. Albert is currently building a park-and-ride lot where there will eventually be an LRT line. This is a prime example of a park-and-ride lot that is being built within our boundaries, but paid for by the city of St. Albert. An agreement like this benefits the entire region, and helps with the costs of providing these lots. For further information, please refer to my previous post about LRT parking.

4) Downtown Revitalization (asked via email) – Do you think a new downtown arena will really “revitalize downtown?” We always hear this word “revitalize” in relation to the potential downtown arena. What does that word mean to you?

For me, revitalization is best represented by the changes that have taken place on 104 Street since 1998. When City Council first broached the topic of downtown revitalization, they felt that 104 Street had potential, so they invested in a couple of different catalysts.

First was to streetscape: Widen the sidewalks, install benches, pave with cobblestones, and add other details that beautified the street.

Second was financial incentives: A nearly $5,000 grant to the ‘early adopter’ developers to build residential units downtown. The idea was simple; encourage people to live downtown and it will catalyze more development in the core.

Another achievement has been overhauling some zoning restrictions to make it easier to build downtown. We’ve created a more positive climate for private investment by assuring developers that certain obstacles to development can be removed, and that lengthy negotiations for development rights can be circumvented.

These examples — from street-level improvements to development incentives and changes in zoning restrictions — were all components that I believe City Council got right.

Ultimately, revitalization is about ensuring that the smallest details are in place. It is not simply about an arena. It is also about the two parks that downtown needs to support, the residential development that we want to see happen, and the zoning changes and details such as sewer upgrades that will be critical in the revitalization process. Developing the area around the arena is critical to creating vibrant, active, and attractive streets that people will want to frequent and make their destination. This, in turn, will support businesses in the neighbourhood. I feel it’s important the arena district has the same pedestrian friendliness and vibrant street life that 104 Street currently has. If it has that feel, which will undoubtedly evolve from the design stage, then it will contribute positively to revitalization.