The subject of light rail transit is one that elicits some heated response around St. Albert. City council is enamoured of Edmonton’s idea of extending the LRT to St. Albert sometime in the future. It could be four decades before the rail is built.
While many elected officials understand the boon of public transit, the public doesn’t seem to. On June 27 Statistics Canada released some rather illuminating information as part of the 2011 National Household Survey. The study stated that 83 per cent of Edmontonians travel in a private vehicle to work every day. Of that number, only about eight per cent travel as passengers. That means about 75 per cent, or three-quarters of commuters, drive to work alone in a city that has obvious public transit options readily available.
Conversely, just over 11 per cent of those commuting to work in Edmonton stated they use public transit, almost one percentage point lower than the national average.
The benefits of public transportation are numerous and difficult to oppose, and city council’s move to plan ahead for its arrival was a good one. Public transit use leads to fewer private vehicles on the roads, which means less air pollution, noise pollution, fewer collisions, less wear and tear on infrastructure, lower traffic density and, in theory, lower fuel prices as demand drops.
The issue has tangible effects on the residents of St. Albert, many of whom commute into Edmonton every day for work or school. But, if an LRT extension is built, will St. Albert residents use it?
Numbers suggest even city dwellers in Alberta balk at public transit. The StatsCan study stated, “Since the use of public transit involves walking, waiting and sometimes traffic congestion, it is not surprising that commuting times are generally longer for public transit users.”
In fact, the belief that city dwellers tend to use public transit more doesn’t seem to be based in reality. The study, under the heading Dependence on Cars in Urban Neighbourhoods, went on to state, “Even though there is a growing tendency for the population to congregate in large urban centres and people have access to better public transportation services, dependence on the automobile increased between 1992 and 2005. According to data from the General Social Survey (GSS) on time use, the proportion of people aged 18 and over who went everywhere by car – as either a driver or a passenger – rose from 68 per cent in 1992, to 70 per cent in 1998 and then 74 per cent in 2005.”
An LRT system has benefits for the community, of which it’s hoped all members are aware. City council has a few decades to ensure that’s the case.
