LRT one step closer to your front door

Two Edmonton LRT projects recently celebrated a significant milestone when they received a major financial boost from the province on November 1.

The Valley Line West and the Metro Line have received a combined $1.17 billion boost from the Province of Alberta.

The announcement was made November 1 at a news conference held at the Lewis Farms Transit Centre Premier Rachel Notley and Transportation Minister Brian Mason, with Mayor Don Iveson, City Councillor Andrew Knack and Edmonton-Meadowlark MLA Jon Carson.

The money breaks down to $1.04 billion towards Valley Line West and $131 million for the Metro Line extension. The contribution will be used for procurement and construction of both lines.

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LRTProvFunding2

This is big news; not just for both projects, but for Edmonton. Here are some of the ways that our city will benefit from these transformational projects:

LRTProvFunding3 Conceptual rendering of future Valley Line West Brewery Stop

Connections to where people live, work and play

Valley Line West provides an LRT link and increases accessibility to major destinations, including Norquest College, MacEwan University, the Brewery District, 124 Street, Meadowlark Mall, the Misericordia Hospital and West Edmonton Mall.

Phase one of the Metro Line extension will add the permanent NAIT station and connect to the sustainable, transit-oriented development of Blatchford. The extension will add 1.5 km of track to the line that serves passengers at seven stations: University of Alberta Hospital, University of Alberta North Campus, Churchill Square, MacEwan University, Kingsway Mall and Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Another transportation option for more Edmontonians

The Valley Line West will have an estimated daily ridership of 40,100 passengers in 2027. The Metro Line NW Phase 1 extension is expected to result in 8,000 additional riders in 2027, and the Metro Line between Health Science station and Blatchford station will have a daily ridership of approximately 42,600 passengers.

Job creation

The design and construction phase of the Valley Line West and Metro Line extension are expected to create 10,200 jobs in Alberta and an additional 4,350 jobs across Canada, for a total of 14,550 jobs.

A cleaner city

A 30-year analysis projects that by 2047 the implementation of Valley Line West will result in an annual greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 16,300 tonnes per year. The Metro Line extension is projected to reduce 3,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

LRtProvFunding4Conceptual rendering of Metro Line LRT NW Extension station

What’s next?

Once additional federal funding is secured, the Valley West project will take about one year to select a contractor and another five to six years to complete construction. For the Metro Line NW LRT Phase 1 extension, it will take about nine months to select a contractor and another two and a half years to complete construction.

For more info about both projects, please visit:

edmonton.ca/valleylinewest

edmonton.ca/metronw