Why buses are edging out trains for Edmonton's transit future
City council is weighing bus rapid transit as a more flexible alternative to LRT expansion. Two routes are proposed, with decisions coming during budget talks later this year.
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Edmonton is reconsidering its vision for mass transit expansion, with bus rapid transit (BRT) gaining ground as a more scalable alternative to further light rail development. City officials have proposed two BRT routes: one running north-south from Castle Downs to Century Park, the other east-west from West Edmonton Mall to Bonnie Doon through Old Strathcona and the University of Alberta.
BRT systems run buses in dedicated lanes with frequent intervals, priority at intersections, and fewer stops than conventional transit. "We're talking about effectively an LRT system, but on rubber tires," said former city councillor Tim Cartmell. David Cooper, a transit expert at consulting firm Leading Mobility, said BRT is more flexible than LRT. "If we want to be nimble and build out our networks and have that access to service, which is usually the thing that people want the most is frequent service that they can rely on, bus-based rapid transit is the way that Canadian cities are going," Cooper said.
The shift reflects rising LRT costs and the city's existing debt load. Outside of currently underway LRT extensions, the city has no further LRT projects planned for the next decade. Councillors will decide during budget discussions later this year whether the proposed routes will get funding to move forward. Feedback is being sought by an online city survey on the configuration of the University of Alberta and Whyte Avenue portion of the plan.