Edmonton Transit Service

Edmonton Transit Service
Slogan Your Every Day Way
Parent City of Edmonton
Founded 1908
Headquarters Edmonton, Alberta
Locale PO Box 2610, Stn. Main Edmonton, AB
Service area Edmonton, Alberta
Service type Public Transit
Routes 209;[1] 2 LRT routes
Stops 7369[1]
Hubs 26[2]
Stations 18 (LRT)
~7000 bus stops[2]
Fleet 963 buses (As of 2017)
94 light rail vehicles
98 DATS vehicles[1]
Daily ridership 397,402 (weekday)[3]
Fuel type Bus: diesel, electric (trial),[4] CNG (trial)[5]
LRT: electric
Operator City of Edmonton
Chief executive Eddie Robar (Manager)
Website Official site

The Edmonton Transit Service, also called ETS, is the public transit service owned and operated by the city of Edmonton, Alberta. It operates Edmonton's bus and light rail systems.

Service

High Level Rail Bridge with lower LRT bridge and train crossing

ETS provides service on buses and light-rail transit within the City of Edmonton limits, in addition to Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, Beaumont, and the Edmonton Garrison at Namao. It also provides connections to suburban transit services operated by the City of St. Albert and Strathcona County. ETS provides service to the Edmonton International Airport, while Leduc Transit provides bus service to Leduc.

ETS operates an entire fleet of accessible low floor buses,[6] which have been progressively introduced into the system since 1993. These include the 858 40-foot (12 m) New Flyer D40LF, and the 33 60-foot (18 m) D60LF articulated models.

ETS uses the timed-transfer system, where suburban feeder routes run to a transit centre, and passengers can then transfer to a base route/LRT to the city centre or the university. Some feeder routes provide direct express service to and from the city centre.

The Ookspress was a free express route that ferried people from Churchill LRT Station directly to the main NAIT campus that primarily used electric buses.[7] The Ookspress was cancelled when the Metro Line opened on 6 September 2015.[8]

Smart Bus

A new feature on ETS, Smart buses have since July 2013, seen operating on several routes, the trial routes were 111 which went from West Edmonton Mall to Downtown and 128 which went from Castle Downs to University, This system respectively used 45 buses. As of November 2014, there are 22 routes equipped,.[9][10][11][12][13] Real time departure boards are installed at University Transit Centre as well as West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre, as well as real time bus arrival information on personal computers and mobile data, branded together as ETS LIVE. A mobile app, ETS Live to Go, has been released.[9] Over 750 buses have Smart Bus technology as of May 2016.[14] The buses equipped possess automatic audio visual stop announcers of the next bus stop described by its nearest intersection, a computer aided dispatch which informs the control centre where a bus is, as well as monitor incidents. Mobile data terminals inform the drivers how to drive a route if they are unfamiliar, as well as if they are late or not. The buses equipped have internal covert cameras to monitor safety.[15][16] City council has approved funding for Smartbus deployment on all bus routes as of 2019 and 2020.[17] On 4 September 2016, all 928 busses in the ETS fleet had been fully equipped with Smart bus technology, earlier than initially planned.[14]

Late Night Owl Service

Night service began in September 2015, on routes 1, 4, 8, and 9 and 512. These buses operate until 3:30 AM. Morning service then resumes around 5:00 AM.

LRT route night service is provided by Route 512 which stops close to each Capital Line LRT station overnight, from Clareview to Downtown.[18]

Other routes end service at varying times.

Security

In May 2007, Edmonton Transit Security were appointed Peace Officers under the Alberta Peace Officer Act. Transit Peace Officers can issue tickets for Provincial Statutes and Edmonton bylaws on Transit property. Transit Security uses Ford Taurus police interceptors as their primary transportation, but are also seen riding the LRT enforcing bylaws.

List of Transit Centres

Transit Centres in Edmonton serve as hubs which allow people to transfer bus routes or onto the LRT system. These hubs typically have a heated shelter, and have multiple bus bays to accommodate many buses at a time.

Bus on Route 51

* Transit Centre at LRT station

Routes

ETS numbers its bus routes based on the community they serve, with numbers 1-23 being base routes.[19] Routes numbered 24-99 are south Edmonton routes, while routes 100-199 run north of the river. For example, routes 60 to 79 are located in Mill Woods, while routes 160-179 are located in Castle Downs. Due to a shortage of numbers in allocation of route numbers, there are a number of exceptions. Furthermore, commuter routes have been allocated numbers in the 500's. All routes are serviced by accessible low floor buses.[20]

Divisions

  • Centennial Garage - bus facility: historic fleet storage; opened April 24, 2010[21]
  • Cromdale Garage - bus facility and former Edmonton Radial Railway trolley bus/streetcar barn: Torn down in 2014.
  • D.L. MacDonald Yard - LRT storage and repair facility; opened 1983
  • Ferrier Garage - bus facility; formerly trolley bus barn
  • Mitchell Garage - bus facility; formerly trolley bus barn; opened April 7, 1981[22]
  • Paterson Garage - bus garage; bus disposal facility
  • Percy Wickman Garage - Disabled Adult Transit Service (DATS) facility
  • Westwood Garage - bus garage; opened 1961

Former

Former systems

Trolley bus system

ETS trolley bus

Trolley bus service in Edmonton started on September 24, 1939, operating on route 5 from 101 St/Jasper Ave to 95 St/111 Ave. By the end of October of that year, service had started on another route running to 99 St/Whyte Ave via the Low Level Bridge. In Edmonton, trolley buses were often referred to simply as "trolleys".

The trolley bus system used a mixture of Ohio Brass and K&M Elastic (Swiss) suspension for holding up the overhead wires.

The 47 vehicles remaining in use in 2008 were from an order of 100 manufactured in 1981-2 by Brown Boveri & Company (BBC), using bodies and chassis supplied to BBC by GM.

On 18 June 2008, city council voted 7 to 6 in favour of phasing out the trolley system between 2009 and 2010.[23] However, city council decided in April 2009 that trolley bus service would be discontinued earlier than originally planned, in order to reduce the city's expected $35 million deficit that year.[24] The last day of regular service was 2 May 2009.[25]

In 2008, the city leased a low-floor model of trolley from Coast Mountain Bus Company, Vancouver's bus operating company, for testing of possible benefits of low-floor trolleys over hybrid diesel buses. During its time in Edmonton the bus was numbered 6000, but was returned to its original #2242 when returned to Vancouver.[26]

Streetcars

Edmonton operated streetcars from 1908 to 1951, some of which are now owned by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society.

Current systems

LRT

An Edmonton LRT Siemens-Duewag U2 car at University station
An Edmonton LRT SD-160 car at South Campus/Fort Edmonton Park station

ETS operates a 20.5 km light rail route with fifteen stations. The Capital Line runs roughly north-south, between northeast Edmonton and the Century Park community, with a mix of tunnels and at-grade track. Six stations are underground, while the remaining nine are at-grade.

In 2015, the Metro Line opened, interlining with the Capital Line on some sections and servicing the central and north-central area of the city.[27]

The train shown to the right was made in Germany by Siemens/DÜWAG. The same type of vehicle has operated on several underground lines in Frankfurt am Main since 1968 as type U-2. ETS also has Siemens SD-160s from Siemens. These were delivered to accommodate four new stations which opened in 2009 and 2010.

Hybrid/electric buses

The City of Edmonton embarked on an eight-month evaluation of 13 clean-diesel and hybrid buses (and a new trolley bus) in 2008. Edmonton Transit's first two diesel electric hybrid buses went into service in December 2006.[28] The unique design and colour scheme of the two Orion low floor buses have been chosen to enable them to 'stand out' from the rest of the ETS fleet. The buses were part of an extensive test of hybrid technology that Edmonton Transit and the University of Alberta conducted over a year. Bus reliability, performance, maintenance costs, fuel efficiency, noise generation and environmental impact were monitored and evaluated in all weather and road conditions. As well, customers were surveyed about their travel experience. Ultimately, the Hybrid buses only recorded fuel savings of 10-20% (in contrast to the 35% touted in the internal ads). In addition, the ISE-New Flyer hybrids (6003 and 6004) were out of service so much that they could not be included in the evaluation.

As of fall 2009, only the two Orion hybrids are in service. New Flyer/ISE hybrids 6003 and 6004 have been parked in the Paterson compound since the early spring, and have since been converted to diesel buses as of 2011, while New Flyer/Allison 6001 was damaged beyond repair in an accident. New Flyer/Allison 6002 was revamped with new features and technology to become the ETS Platinum Bus, also referred to as the "Painted Lady".[29]

In Spring 2014, ETS unveiled a full electric bus for a four-month pilot program through October 2014. The buses are referred to as "ETS Stealth Buses" and are on lease from Build Your Dreams (BYD) Co. Ltd.. The buses do not have a fare box at the moment, but instead are accepting customer surveys about electric buses as fare.[30] Even without fare capacity the buses will be placed on several different routes around the city to give many Edmontonians the ability to experience the new exhaust-less bus. The current electric bus is not winterized, but if the city moves forward with the electric bus program they intend to acquire buses with full winter capabilities.

Fares

In December 2014, Edmonton City Council approved SmartFare, which comprises an electronic farecard and intermunicipal fare structure. SmartFare is due to be fully implemented in 2019.[17]

General Fares

The table below lists fares as of 1 February 2018.[31][32] No fare to children below 6 with fare-paying rider; limit is 3.

Youth (6-18) Adult (19-65) Senior (65+)
Cash $3.25
10 Ticket Pack $23 $26.25 $23
Day Pass $9.75
Monthly Pass $75 $97 $15.50
Annual Pass N/A $136.50

Conditional Fares

ETS provides several discounts for students and the disadvantaged.

  • Low income seniors can pay $59.25 for an annual pass instead of the listed $136.50.[32]
  • Starting in 2017, Qualified low-income adults can purchase a bus pass for $35 through the Ride Transit Program[33]
  • Public school students can purchase monthly passes from their schools at a subsidized rate ranging from $30-55 depending on grade and location.[34]
  • Catholic school students can purchase monthly passes ranging from $30-50.[35]
  • Families (1 adult and up to four children age 12 and under) are entitled to travel on ETS all day with the use of a valid day pass.
  • Post-secondary students at approved post-secondary institutions may purchase a monthly pass at the discounted rate of $88.50.[32]
  • Since 1 September 2007, ETS has partnered with the University of Alberta, NorQuest College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and MacEwan University to provide students with a Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass), allowing unlimited access to St Albert Transit, Strathcona County Transit and ETS bus and light rail systems for a single (four month) school term. As of 2013, University of Alberta students pay $145 after a $25 subsidy from the University of Alberta while NorQuest College, NAIT and MacEwan University students pay the full $170[36][37][38][39]
  • Since 1 March 2013, ETS has provided Edmontonians with Disabilities on the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) Program a subsidized Adult Transit pass at a cost of $35 per month.

Commuter & Regional Service Fares

Some routes have different fare structures due to the distance they cover or because they enter different municipalities outside of Edmonton.

Spruce Grove

Fares effective 1 January 2017 for commuter routes 560 and 562 to Spruce Grove:[40]

  • Monthly commuter pass to Edmonton (without transferability to regular ETS service): $135
  • One way commuter cash fare (without transferability to regular ETS service): $6.25
  • Monthly Spruce Grove/ETS integrated pass to Edmonton (with transferability to regular ETS service): $176
    • The integrated pass must be presented to bus driver with a valid Spruce Grove and ETS pass or not valid
    • Can only be purchased by Spruce Grove residents
  • Monthly student pass to Edmonton (without transferability to regular ETS service): $100
    • The student pass must be presented to the bus driver with a valid student ID card or not valid
    • Can only be purchased by Spruce Grove residents
  • Book of 10 tickets (without transferability to regular ETS service): $54
  • Local fare only (within Spruce Grove): $2.75
  • No additional fare for holders of the U-Pass or children under 6 with a fare paying adult; limit 3.

Acheson

Fares effective 1 January 2017 for commuter route 561 to Acheson:[41]

  • Monthly commuter pass to Edmonton (without transferability to regular ETS service): $135
  • One way commuter cash fare (without transferability to regular ETS service): $6.25
  • Book of 10 tickets (without transferability to regular ETS service): $54
  • No additional fare for holders of the U-Pass or children under 6 with a fare paying adult; limit 3.

Fort Saskatchewan

Fares effective 1 February 2018 for commuter route 580 to Fort Saskatchewan:[42]

  • Fares without transferability to regular ETS service:
    • Adult one way: $5
    • Senior one way (65+): $3.50
    • Student one way (13-17): $3.50
    • Child (under 12): Free
    • Adult book of 10 tickets: $40
    • Student/Senior book of 10 tickets: $33
    • Adult monthly pass: $90
    • Student/Senior monthly pass: $35
  • Integrated passes (valid on regular ETS service as well as route 580):
    • Adult monthly pass: $187
    • Student monthly pass: $123.50
    • Senior monthly pass: $50.50
  • U-Pass holders pay no additional fare

Beaumont

Fares effective 1 October 2017 for route 540 to Beaumont:[43]

  • One way: $5
  • 10 ticket book: $45
  • Adult monthly pass: $85
  • Student and Senior monthly pass: $78
  • Children (under 5): Free (with an accompanying fare-paying passenger); limit 3.
  • The U-Pass is not accepted on route 540, however the option is being considered for the future.[43]

Beaumont tickets, passes and transfers cannot be used on regular ETS services.

Edmonton International Airport

Fares for route 747 to the Edmonton International Airport, effective May 14, 2018:[44]

  • One way trip: $5 or two adult ETS tickets
  • Monthly pass (with no transferability to regular ETS service): $90
  • UPass, Leduc commuter pass, or Leduc route 747 transfer

One way fare reduced back to $5 on May 1, 2018 (after it rose to $10 on February 1, 2018), when an increase in joint funding from the City of Leduc, Leduc County, and the Edmonton International Airport was agreed upon.[45]

Sherwood Park

Some Strathcona County Transit tickets/passes/transfers are valid on ETS and vice versa. These are the details effective 1 February 2018:[46]

  • Sherwood Park Commuter tickets/passes/transfers are valid for use on ETS
    • These are special tickets/passes/transfers purchased for or obtained from Sherwood Park commuter routes
  • ETS tickets are valid on Sherwood Park commuter services for an additional $2 and on sherwood park local services for an additional $1
    • Tickets for use solely on route 747 are not valid on SCT
  • ETS monthly passes (excluding the seniors pass and courtesy pass) and day passes are valid on all Sherwood Park services for an additional $1
    • Passes for use solely on route 747 are not valid on SCT

St. Albert

Some ETS tickets/passes/transfers are valid on StAT and vice versa:[47]

  • ETS monthly passes (excluding the seniors pass and courtesy pass) are valid on all St. Albert services for an additional $1
  • ETS tickets and transfers are valid on commuter St. Albert services for an additional $2
    • Only valid on commuter routes between Edmonton & St. Albert
  • StAT commuter tickets/passes/transfers are valid on ETS (local versions are not valid)[48]

Plans

Transit centres

The preliminary engineering of a park-and-ride at 127 Street SW and Ellerslie Road SW is complete. A station will be located there when the funds are available to extend the LRT over Anthony Henday Drive.[49] City staff have recommended that the Heritage Valley Transit Centre and park-and-ride be built starting in January 2018, at an approximate cost of $20 million because the park-and-ride lease at Century Park is due to expire.[2] The Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage is a proposed transport depot on Fort Road, named after ETS manager Kathleen Andrews, and covering 300 buses and 700 drivers.[50]

NAIT LRT

NAIT station current is located north of Princess Elizabeth Avenue, on the south side of the Institute's swimming pool and hockey arena (S) wing. A permanent station is planned to be built on the former Edmonton City Centre Airport lands.[51][52]

Valley Line

The Valley Line will run for 27 kilometres (17 mi) from Mill Woods through downtown Edmonton to Lewis Farms, with 25 stops. The 11-station segment from Mill Woods to 102 Street in downtown will be constructed first, beginning in 2016 and finishing by 2020. Unlike the existing LRT, the Valley Line will run primarily at grade in the centre median of city streets, connecting to the Capital and Metro lines at Churchill station.[53] The line will cost $1.8 billion, with $800 million coming from the City of Edmonton, $600 million from Alberta, and $400 million from the federal government. A public–private partnership will be established between the City of Edmonton and a private contractor to build and operate the line.[54]

Long range LRT plans

City council in the past has looked at creating long range transportation plans that include the LRT reaching St. Albert to the northwest, Lewis Estates in the west (with West Edmonton Mall en route), the Edmonton International Airport and Leduc to the south, Mill Woods in the southeast, and Fort Saskatchewan to the northeast.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ETS Statistics". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "2015 - 2018 Capital Budget" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Bus and LRT Boardings 2002-2011" (PDF). City of Edmonton. 3 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Dubois, Stephanie (28 August 2014). "City of Edmonton's 'Stealth' buses to be used in new shuttle service for NAIT students". Metro Edmonton. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Dubois, Stephanie (3 April 2014). ""No major issues" for pilot compressed natural gas buses: Edmonton city officials". Metro Edmonton. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Accessible Vehicles". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Ookspress up and running (Morning News Edmonton). Global News Morining. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Ookspress Bus Schedule". NAIT Students' Association. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Five more Edmonton transit bus routes to get real time technology". Metro Edmonton. 29 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  10. ↑ "Four more Edmonton bus routes to get real time technology". Metro Edmonton. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  11. ↑ "Four more Edmonton bus routes to launch Smart Bus technology". Metro Edmonton. 26 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "Two More Routes Get Smart Bus Technology". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Smart Bus Initiative". Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Smart Bus Project". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Smart Bus Initiative Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Final five Smartbus technology to be installed on Edmonton buses as city awaits province funding". Metro Edmonton. 23 December 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Edmonton council approves Smartbus funding, set to rollout in 2019". Metro Edmonton. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Osmun, Laura (9 December 2014). "Late night bus service will roll into Edmonton in the fall". CBC News. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  19. ↑ Bouw, Brenda (14 June 1997). "Free rides to launch new service; Transit headed `where people want to go,' mayor says; HORIZON 2000; TRANSIT'S NEW HORIZON:". Edmonton Journal. p. B.3.
  20. ↑ "Low Floor Buses". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  21. ↑ Gold, Marta (11 April 2010). "ETS opens state-of-the-art garage; New $99-million bus barn is size of five football fields, first new facility in 25 years". Edmonton Journal. p. A.5.
  22. ↑ Edmonton Transit Service 100. City of Edmonton. 2008.
  23. ↑ "Trolleys reach end of the line". Edmonton Journal. 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  24. ↑ Landry, Frank (19 April 2009). "Mayor targets city honchos". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  25. ↑ "ETS Trolley Buses". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  26. ↑ "Edmonton Tests new Low Floor Trolley Bus" (PDF). Transit Talk. Edmonton Trolley Coalition. 29 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  27. ↑ Lazzarino, Dave (21 January 2015). "Edmonton's Metro Line now set to open in spring". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  28. ↑ "Accessibility". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  29. ↑ "Special Feature - ETS Platinum Bus 6002". ETS Photo Express. 8 November 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  30. ↑ "Edmonton transit gets two electric buses". Edmonton Sun. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  31. ↑ "Fares". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  32. 1 2 3 Theobald, Claire (9 January 2018). "Edmonton Transit to increase price of tickets, passes in February". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  33. ↑ "Ride Transit Program :: City of Edmonton". City of Edmonton. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  34. ↑ "Student Transportation Fees 2014-2015" (PDF). Edmonton Public Schools. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  35. ↑ "Bus Pass Fees for 2017-2018 School Year" (PDF). Edmonton Catholic Schools. June 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  36. ↑ "Non-Instructional Fees and Faculty Student Funds 2017-2018". University of Alberta. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  37. ↑ "U-Pass". NAIT Students' Association. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  38. ↑ "U-Pass FAQ" (PDF). Grant MacEwan University. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  39. ↑ "U-Pass". NorQuest College. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  40. ↑ "Route 560 Schedule and Map" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Route 561 Schedule and Map" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  42. ↑ "Route 580 Schedule and Map" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  43. 1 2 "Tickets & fares". Town of Beaumont. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Edmonton International Airport Service". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  45. ↑ Stolte, Elise (February 27, 2018). "Edmonton airport bus fare drops back to $5 as part of regional deal". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Tickets, Passes & Fares". Strathcona County. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  47. ↑ "ETS & Strathcona Transit Passes". City of St. Albert. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  48. ↑ "Regional Service". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  49. ↑ "South LRT Extension" (PDF). City of Edmonton. July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  50. ↑ "Northeast bus garage could spur Fort Road redevelopment". Edmonton Journal. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  51. ↑ "North LRT Stations". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  52. ↑ "North LRT Fact Sheet" (PDF). City of Edmonton. May 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  53. ↑ "Valley Line – Stage 1: Mill Woods Town Centre to 102 Street" (PDF). Transforming Edmonton. City of Edmonton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  54. ↑ Kornik, Slav (6 November 2014). "Edmonton groups demand more info on LRT expansion". Global News. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
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