Construction of the North LRT to NAIT is well underway. Crews have been working hard during the 2011 construction season, removing buildings, relocating utilities, and, most significantly, relocating roads such as Kingsway.
The project is on schedule to open to public service in April 2014. Obviously there’s lots of work planned between now and then. When the North LRT opens to service it will provide sustainable transportation options to thousands of Edmontonians, but as construction progresses the City and its contractors are always exploring ways to make North LRT construction as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.
So far the City has found a few ways to enhance sustainability during construction:
Asphalt and concrete
Asphalt removed from Kingsway and other roadworks is used as dust-free; clean surfacing for construction lay-down areas around the North LRT project. Excess material is recycled at the City’s aggregate recycling facility.
Buildings
The City avoids removing buildings for its capital projects as much as possible, but several buildings had to be removed from the North LRT right-of-way. Whenever feasible, houses are relocated rather than demolished (four houses were saved from the North LRT project). Materials such as wood, brick, concrete, steel and other metals from demolished buildings are recycled. Approximately 90 per cent of material from the removed buildings was retrieved through this process.
Alternative Transportation
A multi-use trail will be built adjacent to the North LRT in accordance with the City’s strategic plans, The Way We Move and The Way We Green. Both plans encourage people to use motor vehicles less and increase use of active modes of transportation (such as cycling, running and walking) and of transit.
Trees
Saving as many trees as possible is part of the City’s mandate. Trees obstructing the LRT right-of-way are relocated as often as possible; trees that can’t be relocated are removed, but the wood from the trees is donated to grade school landscape projects and artworks. Leftover organic material is chipped for use in tree wells throughout Edmonton, or mulched and composted.
Landscape
Extensive landscaping is incorporated into the North LRT design, to add green space and trees to Edmonton’s urban form.
Water
Design of the future MacEwan Station allows rainwater to be collected and used for irrigation.
LRT operation alone accomplishes sustainability initiatives. Once the North LRT to NAIT is in full operation it’s expected to add approximately 13,200 weekday riders to Edmonton’s LRT network. Ridership will continue to grow exponentially as Edmonton continues to grow and the LRT extends further west, northwest, northeast, south and southeast.
Building and growing a sustainable city requires careful consideration of reusing and recycling whenever possible. As Edmonton continues to grow the City and its contractors have a responsibility to be ever conscious about the future – not only of Edmonton, but of the planet as a whole.
Recycling is only one of the many steps people can take to practice environmentalism.
To learn more about Edmonton’s environmental strategic plan, visit www.edmonton.ca/thewaywegreen.
To learn about various recycling programs in Edmonton, visit www.edmonton.ca/recycling