Does the Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast LRT need crossing arms?

The design of the Valley Line Southeast LRT is being questioned by riders and city councillors.

A collision on Tuesday involving a train and a semi truck marks 18 crashes on the line since it opened last November.

The low-floor transit line has no crossing arms or gates.

It was designed to better fit into neighbourhoods by being quieter and noninvasive, but it's also seen many more collisions between trains and vehicles than the Metro or Capital lines, which have crossing arms.

The Metro and Capital lines have only had eight crashes since 2018.

Some community leaders say it’s time to have a public conversation around whether improvements are needed on the Valley Line.

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Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell says changes would be expensive, but worth a conversation.

"I think we have to actively decide that, 'Nope we're going to stay the course, we are going to keep this the same as it is now and we expect drivers to follow the lights'. That is not unreasonable at all. But on the same hand, we do things to keep people safe from themselves."

Cartmell says what side he lands on would depend on the cost and operational impact.

"If we get into rails and bells and safety arms, like we do on the capital line, well that means the cars stop all the time."

The union that represents Edmonton Transit Service workers doesn't represent the driver who was injured in Tuesday's crash because they are a TransEd employee, but says public safety for all transit workers should be paramount.

"Employers have a mandate to make a safe workplace," Steve Bradshaw of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 told CTV News on Wednesday.

The issue isn't currently on council's agenda, and Cartmell says he's not sure when it could be discussed in the future. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg