South Edmonton residents fight $10M bus-only lane plan
The Terwillegar Drive project opens Monday for one bus line, but residents say it's a waste of taxpayer money.
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A group of south Edmonton residents is pushing back against a $10 million bus-only lane set to open June 23, arguing the project wastes public money by restricting access to a single bus route.
The lane runs from 53 Avenue to Terwillegar Drive and will initially serve only bus line 31, which operates weekdays between 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Riverbend resident Jesse Hill, who raised the issue publicly, said he contacted the Ministry of Transportation and learned the provincial funding was intended for "a transit-oriented lane," not necessarily a bus-only one.
"I got a call back from their office on June 9 where they outlined to me that the language was that the funding needed to be is for a transit-oriented lane not that it needed to be bus-only," Hill said. He wants the lane opened to all drivers.
Edmonton Transit Service defended the decision, saying route 31 will eventually expand into a rapid-transit corridor. "Route 31 will eventually evolve into an important future bus rapid transit route that runs from Ambleside towards the University Transit Centre via Terwillegar Drive, with dedicated lanes and transit priority measures," said Sarah Feldman, director of transit planning at ETS. "We expect the span and frequency of service on this lane will be increased as additional resources become available."
Councillor Mike Elliot (Pihêsiwin) said he wants to monitor usage before deciding whether to open the lane to other vehicles like taxis or ride-shares. But resident Lita Bablitz, whose home overlooks the lane behind a 6-foot sound wall, warned against changing the design. "Enough.. Like it would be very, very unpleasant to have it suddenly open various times of day and all the problems that would cause," she said.