Edmonton Valley Line LRT

Challenges

The new 27-kilometre Valley Line was envisioned to provide communities to the southeast and west with a targeted 30-minute commute to downtown Edmonton.
It was necessary to collaborate extensively with stakeholders and the public to plan for integration with surrounding communities.
Station aesthetics were chosen, public art opportunities identified, connections to existing transportation networks found, and impacts minimized where possible.

The concept plan for this extension was approved in 2012.
The Line was split into two sections to match funding availability: Valley Line Southeast and Valley Line West.
The Valley Line Southeast was developed as a public-private partnership with Hatch as the technical adviser, a delivery method that offered benefits in cost savings, risk management, and infrastructure warranties.
The Valley Line West is currently being developed for procurement and is subject to funding.
The urban-style, low-floor LRT line was designed to integrate seamlessly with Edmonton's streetscape.
Intensive public-engagement sessions with Edmonton residents shaped the Valley Line's preliminary design and aesthetics.

When the Valley Line is complete, the system is expected to move approximately 5,000 people per hour in each direction.
The Valley Line will help promote growth in LRT ridership, which has increased by 133 percent in the last decade.
The line's two park-and-ride facilities, five connections with other transit centers, and traffic-priority status will encourage residents to choose this alternative form of transportation.
More transit-oriented developments will be concentrated around Valley Line stops to create housing, shopping, and job opportunities within walkable and bikeable communities.

The City of Edmonton designed a 27 km extension to its light rail transit (LRT) line, known as the Valley Line.
The full Valley Line system moves approximately 5,000 people per hour, per direction.
CAD$3.6 billion was the projected cost.