Whyte Ave – Jasper Ave – Churchill Sq. Trolley
Edmonton Streetcar
I was driving around downtown today and admit was thinking about the great things we have done, and some of the even greater things we have on tap for Edmonton’s downtown. Then I drove over the High Level Bridge and marveled at the people out in Garneau, and finally along Whyte Avenue. It came to me how much of a shame it was that these all vibrant locations were not really that easy to visit together without getting into your car and driving from one to the other. Sure an active person could easily do them all on a bicycle, but that’s much less likely to happen when it comes to tourists and regular fat guys like me.
So I started to dream a little about the possibility of extending the High Level Streetcar into a year-round transportation link between the three. Like San Fransisco’s trolley system, I wonder aloud if we could spend some money and create a nostalgic yet functional extension of the existing system. Imagine with me for a second what it might mean for our city if we had the following:
- An expanded station behind the Stathcona Farmers Market where at least a 2-car system could function and turn-around.
- A station at the base of the High-Level bridge in Garneau, where passengers could disembark for the Garneau area
- A stop at the existing station behind 109th street near the Legislature
- Extend the track from 109th street running along the centre of Jasper Avenue
- Add a stop at 104th street and Jasper
- Extend the track east along Jasper to 99th street with a turn northbound on 99th Street (close the street north to Churchill)
- A station at Churchill and 99th street with a “turnaround” on the east border of Churchill in front of the AGA
I know it seems like a big investment, and maybe it’s simply too difficult to pull off. But maybe not, and perhaps it would add a significant local and tourist amenity that would compliment several great existing Edmonton landmarks, like Whyte Avenue (Market), Garneau, The Legislature, Capital Blvd, 104th street, and Churchill Sq.
Why not dream?
Here is a VERY amateur plan I created in 5 minutes using my screen capture software.
The Edmonton Connector
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