5 minute read
This blog is an ode to public transit. Specifically the LRT (light rail) in my city.
CARS VS. TRAINS
Car travel is far from perfect. In fact, most drivers love to complain about driving. And roads. And traffic, construction, other drivers, speed limits, parking, potholes, the list goes on and on. And yet, we keep building it in the exact same way and we treat it as if that is the only way to move about our city.
Weird.
And when we build public transit systems we have the highest expectations! We expect perfection, and when it fails to live up to that (duh), the entirety of the transit system is blamed and folks start demanding that we stop investing in it.
Wuht?
When the Valley Line opened (over a year behind schedule thanks to the PPP model), trains kept hitting cars. And by that I mean, drivers weren’t paying attention and would stop on the train tracks and a train would come through – as trains do.
Also, drivers had to wait a bit longer at shared intersections. This is the end of the world, not sure if you realized. Pedestrians have to wait longer as well, but that wasn’t a problem I heard most (any) drivers talk about.
It takes time getting used to a new technology. And we are building that new technology to improve our city and the lives of its residents. I firmly believe we can learn from the errors of past projects and move forward to meet the needs of all of the folks who live here!
TRAINS: THERE’S A LOT TO LOVE
I mean, just in general there is a lot to love about train travel. It’s fast, efficient moving a lot of people at once, and it is much more environmentally friendly than personal vehicles.
And it’s fun! I love taking the train, especially when it means I get to have an adventure in my city with a good pal.
My sister-in-law and I met up downtown without a plan in mind other than “do something fun”. We decided on the Muttart Conservatory
PLANTS AND STUFF
Wait, I thought this was a blog about trains? Why are there so many photos of plants?
You see, this city adventure to the place with plants was made much easier, faster, and more convenient thanks to the train.
We started in Churchill Square, which is the main public area downtown, and has three train lines running through (and beneath) it. After we made the decision on our destination, we just had to sit and chat and wait for the next train.
Did you know that in Edmonton, you can get fined if you “loiter” at a transit station for too long? Like, beyond what a cop thinks is “normal” for just waiting for transit to arrive. But probably only if you look homeless.
The train ride from Churchill down to Muttart is only a few minutes thanks to the new Valley LRT line. Being a sprawling city set around a river valley can be difficult when many of our major attractions are down in the valley. Thankfully with this LRT addition, they at least connected to one of those tourist hot spots.
And yes, there are hot spots in here!
EDMONTON’S PYRAMIDS
The Muttart Conservatory consists of 4 pyramids filled with plants, each representing a different eco system, temperate, tropical, arid, and “feature”. Feature is usually themed to the season or something else wacky or fun. This time it was mums (for fall I am assuming).
My favourite is the arid pyramid because they has such a wild variety of cactus and succulents. I literally squealed when I saw the “book aloe” pictured above.
I also have a soft spot for enormous leaves. My photo albums are filled with photos of my hands overlaid on enormous leaves.
Muttart also has a few fruit trees, and it excites me to no end to see persimmons growing inside in Edmonton!
WISHES AND PLANS
I honestly wish more people took the train! It’s so great, but it gets a bad rap because of a few incidents where folks’ safety was compromised that the media and police chose to sensationalize.
My grand plan to get more folks riding the train was to literally take them on a train ride. In summer 2024 I had grand plans for a Side Quest involving a train ride to the legislature. Due to low registration, I had to cancel. A lot of folks were interested more in the legislature piece.
I might still try to host an event on the train, but I think I will spend most of my energy talking up our transit system whenever I can.
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES
If you are interested in transit advocacy in Edmonton, check out Edmonton Transit Riders.
If you have a low income I highly recommend applying for the Leisure Access Program. This gets you in FREE to various city attractions like the Muttart, Zoo, rec centres, and more.
If you are concerned about your safety while riding transit I have two things for you:
- If you experience an unsafe encounter while using Edmonton transit, call or text 780-442-4900. I have used this multiple times.
- Write to your MLA and ask them to properly fund affordable housing, shelter spaces, supervised consumption sites, and to follow through on previously made commitments to provide better connection to services. Here is a great toolkit published last year by NDP MLA David Shepard that includes a list of what to do, and steps on how to do it.
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