Playground Zones Survey Results
Thank you to all of the Ward 9 residents and other Edmontonians who took the time to complete my survey on playground zones in our city ahead of the Community and Public Services committee meeting.
I wanted to reach out to as many residents as possible to get your feedback on the unintended consequences that have come with playground zones, as well as your thoughts on some solutions.
In total, almost 1,200 individuals completed the survey in a little less than a week, showing that this is an issue that Edmontonians care deeply about.
Read moreShare your thoughts on Playground Zones
At the next Community and Public Services meeting on April 18, 2018, Committee Members will discuss playground zones, as well as residential speed limits.
Read moreThoughts on Southwest Transportation
I'd like to share my thoughts on a report (Item 6.5) released on Thursday that has gained media attention and is causing some concern and confusion about future transportation plans for Southwest Edmonton.
Read moreThe Time is Now for Terwillegar - Motion Passed!
I am thrilled that my motion related to the Terwillegar Corridor received unanimous support at the February 27, 2018 Council meeting:
Read moreDeath By A Thousand Cuts
Back in the 1990’s, the residents of what is now Ward 9 used Keillor Road as the most direct route between home and downtown. Because the north end of Ward 9 is an island, bounded by the river and the Whitemud Creek Ravine, Keillor Road was the most direct vehicle route. But the road was woefully inadequate, was falling into the river, all that peak hour traffic was profoundly unfair to the residents of Belgravia. Keillor Road was closed, and residents of the southwest were directed to make their way downtown by way of Stony Plain Road, 102 Avenue-Jasper Avenue, 111 street / 109 street or Gateway Boulevard. The “end of the world” is actually the remnants of a retaining wall meant to hold Keillor road on the river bank.
Read moreTerwillegar Drive Development
To say that transportation is an issue in Ward 9 is a tremendous understatement. Residents of our Ward must continually adjust for our deficient transportation network as they consider how to get to and from work, how to get their kids to school, how to get to those extra-curricular activities, or whether to participate in those activities at all.
Read moreUnanimous Approval for BRT/LRT Motion
I am thrilled that my motion related to a comparative study between Bus Rapid Transit and LRT passed unanimously at City Council yesterday.
Read moreThe Future of Mass Transit in our City
On Tuesday January 23, a motion that I developed related to the future of mass transit in our city will be debated and voted on at City Council.
The notice of motion concerns Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, and the need for comparative capital cost estimates related to the build out of our transit network respective to both BRT and LRT.
Read moreHonoured to Serve Ward 9
For those of you who haven’t had a chance to meet me, I’m Tim Cartmell, your Ward 9 Councillor. I am humbled to have been chosen as the Ward 9 representative for City Council.
Read moreWard 9 Transportation Grief
To say that transportation is an issue in Ward 9 is a tremendous understatement. Residents of our Ward must continually adjust for our deficient transportation network as they consider how to get to and from work, how to get their kids to school, how to get to those extra-curricular activities, or whether to participate in those activities at all.
I am committed to being a strong advocate for Ward 9 on City Council, to build a better community for all residents. That includes having our infrastructure projects becoming a top priority.
My work experience overseeing major projects would be a strong asset to getting projects done right, and on budget.
We need to build an interchange at Terwillegar Drive and Bulyea Road. Currently, the traffic signals at this intersection result in backups and stop-and-go traffic that extend on to Whitemud Drive. We have all had the experience of sitting stopped in the left lane of Whitemud Drive, nervously eyeing our rear view mirrors, wondering if it is our turn for that big rear-end collision. An overpass at 40th avenue is the only way to take pressure off of Whitemud Drive and alleviate this serious safety concern.
With a bridge at 40 Avenue, Rabbit Hill Road effectively becomes the entry point to Terwillegar Drive and Whitemud Drive. This would allow us to introduce traffic calming measures along Bulyea Road to minimize shortcutting through the neighborhood, and to minimize the congestion effects of the surplus school site development that has just begun. It is time to build this bridge.
We need to work with our partners at the Province to construct improvements on Anthony Henday Drive. We need at least one additional lane in each direction between Lessard Road and Highway 2. We need an overpass on 136 street, and we need a second overpass at the Terwillegar Drive/AHD interchange. These measures would address congestion on Anthony Henday Drive, would address daily backups along Terwillegar Drive, and provide the new access into Heritage Valley that would permit closure of the very dangerous intersection at Anthony Henday and 127 street.
We need to work with our developer partners, to ensure that they actively continue to build up the arterial roadway system south of Anthony Henday Drive. We need to find a way to get four lanes constructed as early as possible on Ellerslie Road, 121 Street and 127 Street south of Ellerslie, and James Mowatt Trail.
Between 75% and 85% of Heritage Valley and Windermere are not yet developed. We will add over 80,000 people to these communities in the next 10 years. Beyond that, we have the annexation of Leduc County. We need to start developing transportation solutions now, before further development brings unbearable pressures to our communities.
Transportation issues are not trivial, and solutions are expensive. For too many years, Southwest Edmonton has had disproportionately more development and expansion than any other part of the City, and disproportionately less infrastructure investment than other parts of the City. Transit and Transportation in Southwest Edmonton will be a key concern for the next City Council to deal with. If elected, I will work diligently and relentlessly to bring transportation investments to Ward 9.