City Government

City Delays Whyte Avenue Late Night Bus Pilot

August 16, 2011

More consultation to occur with communities and stakeholders

Plans to introduce Night Ride – a late night bus service pilot on Whyte Avenue – will be delayed to give time for additional consultation with key stakeholders including communities around the Southgate transit station.

The transit station is the final stop for the service which picks up passengers on Whyte Avenue, drops off passengers at any requested point on the route between Whyte Avenue and the University station and between the University and the Southgate transit station.

“We are responding to concerns from residents in communities around the Southgate transit station who we will consult on the pilot project, as well as other stakeholders interested in the pilot,” says Angela Turner, Program Manager of Responsible Hospitality Edmonton which is leading the initiative.

Dates for public consultations will be finalized within a week. Results of the input will be publicly released in September. Activity will include an information session, meetings with key stakeholders and web-based input. Feedback will be added to results from previous consultations with businesses, patrons, residents and organizations in the Whyte Avenue area, including the Old Strathcona Business Association and the University of Alberta, whose students are expected to be key users of the service. As well, the Vehicle for Hire Commission, Edmonton Police Service and taxi brokers have supported the design of the pilot.

The proposed pilot would have 10 trips each night, running every 12 minutes from 1:30am to approximately 3:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. Our research suggests 75 per cent of the passengers will get off prior to the buses arriving at the Southgate transit centre.

The pilot will test the theory that about 12 passengers in each bus will end up at the transit centre, where they will take advantage of a taxi stand to get to their final destination or arrange pick-up by a parent. The use of the Night Ride bus by residents from Edmonton’s south side means more taxis will be available on Whyte Avenue for residents going in other directions.

The service is intended to help alleviate congestion on Whyte Avenue at closing time, providing patrons and workers a safe way to access public transportation.