Urban rail Canada’s light r
Light rail is experiencing a renaissance in cities throughout Canada with various new lines planned and some currently under construction, as Kevin Smith discovers.
L
IKE most cities across the world, Canada’s leading urban centres suffer from traffic congestion
leaving many residents wasting time in their cars. In recent years light rail schemes have emerged as the preferred mode of rapid transit in long-term transport plans for cities across the country both to solve these problems and as a way of connecting new regions to existing transit networks. These projects have on the whole drawn wide public support. Canadian Urban Transit Association president and CEO Mr Michael Roschlau says this is particularly true in cities that already have a rapid transit network where residents can view the benefits that it brings to a community and often lobby for the next new line to reach their region. However, in areas where light rail is new, residents need more convincing.
“In communities with no LRT experience, there can be significant debates and concerns, largely due to unfamiliarity and confusion with light rail or tram-type services,” Roschlau says. “Bus rapid transit is often preferred due to lower capital costs, with future upgrades to light rail a consideration. Furthermore, there are concerns about net operating costs, which are typically covered by contributions from local property taxes.”
Roschlau estimates that Canada
requires $C 53bn ($US 54.29bn) of investment in transit over the next five years which includes improvements to existing infrastructure as well as new line construction. With around 25% of these projects currently unfunded, he says work is underway to encourage the federal government to help bridge this funding gap, and cover its share of the typical three-way cost-sharing with provincial and municipal governments
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for new infrastructure projects. He also says that by providing greater flexibility in future five-year spending plans new projects will have a better chance of securing the dollars they need, particularly with many governments facing budget deficits. Roschlau says that there is consequently significant debate in Canada’s larger cities about how additional revenue for infrastructure projects might be secured. Public- private partnerships are considered an option, but Canada has limited experience in this area at present so early examples of this approach are being watched with interest. Unlike the United States, local governments in Canada do not have the flexibility to generate additional revenue for transit projects by adjusting local sales taxes. As a result, alternative funding mechanisms are being studied such as parking levies and congestion charging, although the potential political ramifications mean that it’s a debate that could run and run. “In most instances this is a highly volatile issue and is being treated very cautiously by politicians because of the risk that it could backfire upon them,” Roschlau says.
Calgary
Roschlau says that Calgary’s C-Train is often held up as the most successful LRT system in North America due to its high efficiency and status as the backbone of the city’s transit system. It also has the highest per-capita ridership of any system on the continent carrying 300,000 passengers per day across two lines and 51.8km. The network’s impressive performance is matched by equally impressive expansion plans. A major
milestone will be reached next month when the new West LRT opens following a $C 1.5bn construction programme which began in February 2010. Opening was seemingly delayed until March 2013, but following a prolonged period of good weather over the summer and intensive work by the contractor, led by SNC-Lavalin, the original deadline of December 10 looks likely to be met. The West LRT is a six-station, 8km line that extends the existing Route 202 Saddletowne - City Centre line from the west end of 7th Avenue in central Calgary to 69 Street SW. Shuttle buses will run to two new park-and-ride facilities built to serve the new line which includes a 1.5km elevated section with one station between downtown Calgary City Centre and Bow Trail, and three underground stations, a first for Calgary. A further western extension to Aspen Woods station, around 17th Avenue and 85th Street SW is planned but not yet funded and it may be extended further to 101 Street SW. A 2.9km extension of the north-south Route 201 northeast from McKnight- Westwinds to Saddletowne opened on August 27, five years after it was approved by the council and three years after construction began. The line cost $C 130m to build and is estimated to serve 8000-10,000 passengers per day at two new stations. Construction is also currently underway on a $C 114m single-station extension of the Northwest LRT line from Crowfoot to Tuscany which is due to open in autumn 2014. The line will serve Rocky Ridge, Royal Oak, and Tuscany.
Further extensions to Route 201 from Saddletowne to Stoney Trail, which will add four new stations, and on Route 202 from Somerset-Bridlewood to
IRJ November 2012
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