On Monday, June 1, City Council will determine what the next extension priority is for the LRT network.  

There are two options:  1) extend the Metro Line north, from Blatchford to northwest Edmonton; or 2) extend the Capital Line South, across Anthony Henday Drive to Ellerslie Road, and possibly to the new hospital site in Rutherford.

Why now? 

By now you have a new routine.  You’re working from home, your kids are home with you, you want to get back to work, to see your parents or your grandkids, to have a glass of wine on a patio or get back in the gym.  Maybe you’re a little anxious or a lot worried.  Chances are that you’re concerned about your job, your mortgage, your business, your finances, your bills, your taxes.  

Like me, you are probably overwhelmed with all of the Covid-19 information coming at you, the constant press conferences, advice to exercise physical distancing, to self-isolate, to watch for symptoms. 

On February 26, 2020, the Community & Public Services Community will have another conversation about roads with an emphasis on reduced speed limits. This proposal is to reduce all residential speed limits to 40 kph, or reduce limits in core neighbourhoods to 30 kph, or both.  Either approach would require millions of dollars to put up thousands of signs.

I don’t support either idea.

On February 24, City Administration will present a report to Council recommending that the City continue to service and sell suburban land through our Land Enterprise Development Program.  I do not support this.

It has been a very busy year, particularly since the Government of Alberta released their budget in October. As I’ve mentioned in the past (found in blogs here, here and here), the provincial budget reductions were not a surprise, and I expect that there will likely be more cuts in the spring. 

On Thursday Dec 5, Council held a Public Hearing ahead of the budget discussions Dec 11-13.  We heard from community serving agencies, the business community, and ordinary citizens. We heard from those with requests for financial support and those who insist that our spending decisions should be re-examined.

If you were going to design a transit system for a city with 1 million people, what would you think about?  Would you focus on people trying to get to school and work during rush hour, or on people that don’t have another way of moving around?  How much should users pay, and what if they can’t afford the fare?

Last Thursday, the provincial government released its 2019-2020 Budget.  It included cuts to grants to cities, including grants in support of infrastructure projects, and grants that support the city operating budgets. 

This week is so important. Federal election yesterday. Provincial Budget day on Thursday. Like many Edmontonians, I have been looking forward to this week with some anticipation, some apprehension, and some impatience.