Building LRT

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Building a new LRT line is a significant infrastructure project that can take several years of planning, engineering and public engagement before construction can begin.

LRT Network Plan

The need for LRT in Edmonton was identified first in 1962 and has come a long way since the original Capital Line that runs from Clareview to Health Sciences. In 2009, around the time the Capital Line expanded from Health Sciences to Century Park, the City adopted a Long Term LRT Network Plan that defines the future size, scale and operation of Edmonton’s LRT system.

Current LRT Projects

Property Acquisition

The City considers the impact on property owners when approving projects and selects plans that minimize the need for the acquisition of private property. In some cases, privately-held property will need to be acquired in order for the project to move forward.

The City prefers to acquire properties needed for a project that are listed or otherwise offered for sale. For properties not offered for sale, a City of Edmonton property agent will contact owners when the City begins to actively acquire properties for the project. City property agents will negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach agreement with the owners to buy the required properties for fair compensation.

If a property owner and the City property agent cannot reach an agreement to purchase the property, the City may proceed with expropriation of the property as a last resort.

Property Expropriation

Expropriation is a process by which an authority such as a municipality can acquire property or a portion of a property without the consent of the owner. The process is governed by the Alberta Expropriation Act. Expropriation in Alberta is overseen by the Land Compensation Board.

The City is committed to work with affected property owners to try to reach an agreement throughout the expropriation process.

LRT Network Map

Map Legend

	Capital Line		Metro Line North
	Capital Line North		Metro Line Northwest
	Capital Line South		Valley Line Southeast
	Festival & Energy Line		Valley Line West

LRT Network Map

Expanding the LRT network is one way the City plans to meet the objectives of the Transportation Master Plan and Municipal Development Plan. The LRT Network Plan balances Edmonton’s long-term transportation needs with a commitment to grow green and create a compact, integrated urban environment featuring a high- quality, accessible transportation mode.

The City has reviewed Edmonton’s network-wide LRT expansion plans with goals to:

Define the type of LRT system that best meets Edmonton's long-term objectives
Identify the number of lines and their ultimate destinations
Review system design and technology

Completed Projects

Metro Line: Churchill to NAIT Expansion

September 6, 2015

With the opening of the Metro line it expanded the LRT Network 3.3 km from Churchill LRT Station in downtown Edmonton northwest to NAIT.

2015: MacEwan, Kingsway/Royal Alexandra Hospital, NAIT stations opened

Capital Line: Health Sciences to Century Park Expansion

2010 to 2009

With the opening of three more stations it expanded the line to 21 km.

2010: Southgate and Century Park stations opened
2009: McKernan/Belgravia and South Campus/Fort Edmonton Park stations open

South LRT Extension Fly-Through Video

Capital Line: Clareview to Health Sciences

1962 to 2006

2006: Health Sciences Station opens
1998 and 2001: Upgrades to the Belvedere and Clareview stations occurred
August 23, 1992: Extension from Grandin to University Station opened. It includes a North Saskatchewan River bridge crossing
September 1989: Extension from the Corona Station to Grandin Station opened
December 1983: The D.L. MacDonald Yard, between Belvedere and Clareview, opened for storage and to service the vehicles
June 1983: Downtown was extended to the Bay and Corona stations
April 26, 1981: Extension from the CN right-of-way to Clareview Station opened
April 22, 1978: Service started from Central Station to Belvedere Station in time for the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1974 to 1977: Construction and testing started
1962: Plans for Edmonton's LRT were developed

History

Council Approved LRT Network Plan

June 2, 2009

Transportation and Public Works Committee Minutes (Item E1)

Regional LRT Network Plan Report

LRT Network Plan Elements

Long Term Potential LRT Ridership Map

The report outlines key characteristics of the future LRT network, recommendations on system style, vehicle technology, number of LRT lines in an ultimate LRT network, logical extent of those lines, circulation in the central area and tunnel capacity constraints.

These documents are located in the Transportation Committee Archives.

Information Sessions

May 2009

The City held two open information sessions, where aspects of the LRT Network Plan were shared with the public.

LRT Expansion Plan Presentation

Council Approved New Criteria

December 17, 2008

City Council Minutes (Item E14)

The criteria reflected a shift in the City’s strategic planning direction, as reflected in The Way We Move and The Way We Grow. For LRT and Transit investments, the original goal was to minimize travel times and increase ridership, but the new focus was finding a balance of travel time and shaping land use.

The document is located in the City Council Archives.

Project Lifecycle

Project Lifecycle No Stage

Strategy

Project Lifecycle Strategy

Strategies examine how potential LRT expansion fits in with long term plans to use land and manage growth. Two strategic studies for LRT are The Transportation Master Plan and LRT Network Plan.

Projects

Centre LRT Study
Energy Line
Festival Line

Concept

Project Lifecycle Concept

Concept plans define the route, station locations and LRT track alignment within transportation corridors. They also identify all major infrastructure, crossings, property requirements and initial cost estimates.

Projects

Metro Line Northwest

Design

Project Lifecycle Design

This phase includes two successive parts: preliminary design and detailed design. The design phase further refines engineering details and develops architectural, landscaping and aesthetic plans. Property requirements are confirmed.

Projects

Build

Project Lifecycle Build

A project delivery strategy, detailed cost estimates, construction plans and tender packages are developed. Construction begins.

Project

Operate

Project Lifecycle Operate The new stations open and the LRT goes into service.

Projects

Design Guidelines

LRT Design Guidelines provide standards, guidance and performance-based design criteria for engineering and building LRT in Edmonton. These guidelines ensure that the City designs and builds a uniform system that is easy to maintain and upgrade.

City projects adhere to City Design and Construction Standards.

The City's High-Floor LRT Design Guidelines (36MB) were updated in 2022. Council has provided direction to adhere to urban LRT principles in future high-floor LRT projects.

Valley Line LRT

The technical requirements for design and construction of the Valley Line LRT are embedded in Schedule 5 of the Valley Line - Stage 1 P3 Project Agreement.

Sustainable Urban Integration (SUI)

With direction from the City and two years of public consultation, the principle of Sustainable Urban Integration (SUI) was established.

SUI looks beyond the building of tracks and trains to create neighbourhoods that are safe, attractive and connected. This involves designing livable, pedestrian-friendly environments, and adding enhancements that reflect the feel and character of each of the communities along the LRT corridor.

Some examples of SUI enhancements include:

Building shared-use pathways, sidewalks and trails
Adding bike lanes that connect to the City’s existing bike lane network
Designing pedestrian-friendly zones around stops and stations
Using enhanced landscaping and streetscaping along the length of the corridor to create a more natural environment
Incorporating organic materials such as stone and wood wherever possible

These principles were incorporated into the Valley Line LRT - Stage 1 Project Agreement.

Council Approved LRT Crossing Assessment Framework

June 13, 2017

As a result of traffic-related concerns, Council approved a framework to evaluate if LRT crossings should be street level, above or below the road.

Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2017 (Item 6.2)

LRT Crossing Assessment Framework Fact Sheet

Urban LRT

While the current LRT system can best be described as a “suburban” system, the LRT Network Plan calls for a change in approach to an “urban” LRT system. It is designed to fit into neighbourhoods and promote development all while balancing mobility needs with traffic flow. The urban approach improves connections between the LRT and city life. Changes include:

Most tracks at street level
Stations built closer together
Some connections between different LRT lines, especially at Churchill Station
Reduced speeds through residential areas

Urban LRT Factsheet

Transit Oriented Development

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is an approach to building a city that concentrates on housing, shopping and employment along a network of walkable and bikeable streets within a five minute walk of transit stations – or 400 metres in any direction.

For More Information

Future LRT General Inquiries

City of Edmonton

Telephone	780-496-4874
Email	LRTprojects@edmonton.ca

Building LRT

LRT Network Plan

Property​ ​Acquisition

Property​ ​Expropriation

LRT Network Map

Map Legend

Completed Projects

Council Approved LRT Network Plan

Information Sessions

Council Approved New Criteria

Design Guidelines

Valley Line LRT

Sustainable Urban Integration (SUI)

Council Approved LRT Crossing Assessment Framework

Urban LRT

Transit Oriented Development

For More Information

Future LRT General Inquiries

Property Acquisition

Property Expropriation