St. Albert will approach Sturgeon County and the Town of Morinville to contribute to the city's proposed south park and ride.
While no motion was passed, Mayor Nolan Crouse made the suggestion while council was discussing a potential LRT grant and future GreenTRIP projects Monday night.
"Currently St. Albert is paying the capital but we haven't landed on how operating is going to take place," Crouse said. "I think we formally need to take a position."
While Crouse had originally suggested asking only Sturgeon, Coun. Len Bracko added Morinville to the list as well.
Crouse said county residents make up nine per cent of the city's current park and ride operations and, given Sturgeon recently decided not to renew its five-year, $100,000 sponsorship of Servus Credit Union Place, the city should at least ask.
"What I'm trying to do is see if they are interested in participating on the capital or maybe the operational side," Crouse said. "It's a regional park and ride so maybe they'd be interested in being at the table."
Neither Sturgeon County Mayor Don Rigney nor Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi were aware of the decision.
"There's no doubt in my mind long-term we have to look at park and ride between communities and how they connect," Bertschi said. "It's something we'd take a look at."
Rigney said he was looking forward to discussions with St. Albert, but noted many county residents using public transit do so at Clareview station in Edmonton.
"Having said that if a lot are going to Clareview, and the LRT comes to St. Albert, we'll have to address it."
Grant funds
The city's efforts to partner with Edmonton on LRT expansion might get a financial boost from a provincial grant program.
Council unanimously endorsed applying for Regional Collaboration Program (RCP) funding for the Northwest LRT Functional Alignment Study. St. Albert has committed approximately $122,000 — the balance of its LRT reserve — to piggyback onto the study, which Edmonton is conducting. The project will evaluate the best route to bring LRT to St. Albert's border, ending at the proposed park and ride.
Guy Boston, general manager of planning and engineering, said the grant could save St. Albert $72,000 if it is approved. Of the total projected $1.1-million cost of the study, the grant could cover a maximum of $250,000, meaning St. Albert would contribute $50,000 and Edmonton $800,000
"We would actually end up saving some money if we get it," Boston said.
The city expects to hear back from the province by mid-February at the latest. Its application does not disqualify the city from applying for any other grant funding. St. Albert's plans wouldn't change if the application is denied, Boston said.
"In discussions with the City of Edmonton, we said we would commit the $122,000," he said.
Wait and see
The city still has not heard from the province on whether its application for GreenTRIP funding for the park and ride station has been approved.
According to a Capital Region Board (CRB) document dated Oct. 1, 2011, the $20-million project is listed as 'pending.' It states the project is eligible but the province is still waiting for more information.
What is known is that funding for reports and studies from different municipalities has been rejected because they lack capital components.
St. Albert had listed several studies associated with bringing the LRT into St. Albert's boundaries on its GreenTRIP wish list. A postponed motion from an Oct. 24 council meeting had called for those studies to be deleted from its application.
In anticipation of a second round of GreenTRIP funding, which the province has not confirmed, Boston urged council not to follow through with the motion until more information is available.
"If we were to change any future submissions, we would definitely take that value and apply it against the land costs (of the park and ride)," Boston said. "
