The decision by city council to keep Stony Plain Road a two-way street once the west leg of the Valley Line LRT is built has received mixed reaction from those living and working along the route.
As of Tuesday, the west section was finalized as a centre-running train with a single lane of traffic on either side.
The configuration will mean no left turns or street parking for motorists, and narrower sidewalks for pedestrians.
The decision is a potential concern for some business owners, but something they’ll be able to work around, said Irene Blain, community league president.
“There’s a lot of parking behind those businesses,” she said. “These are huge lots at the back.”
In March, Councillor Andrew Knack floated the idea turning the seven blocks of Stony Plain Road into a one-way street, suggesting it would allow for wider, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.
But councillors, including Knack, believe in the city’s ability to make the street walkable even with two-way traffic.
When completed, the line will pass through Glenora and Jasper Place, past the West Edmonton Mall, to complete the Valley Line.
“I recognize that there are still questions in some people’s minds. There are no questions in my mind about the value of this route, the redevelopment site it’s going to touch, the communities it will help revitalize once construction is finished,” Mayor Don Iveson said.
“That’s why I’ve supported decisions about this route and this style of LRT going back for a decade.”
The vote means the City can move ahead on the roughly $2-billion task of designing the line, acquiring the land for it, and finding a builder.
“I think we’re getting very, very close to…. Edmontonians, practically speaking, to be able to get from Mill Woods Town Centre to Lewis Estates and all points in between seamlessly on a train by mid-2020s,” the mayor said.
Construction could start in 2020, once Ottawa’s funding contribution is secured.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
