City councilors got more information Monday on additional options for bus rapid transit (BRT) routes along with feedback from residents and businesses.
A report presented at City Hall identified risks and benefits for proposed locations of dedicated routes for a BRT system, with much of the focus on two specific sections.
One is downtown and whether main lines should run along 1st Avenue or 3rd Avenue. The other is whether BRT should cross the river over the broadway bridge and into the Broadway neighborhood, or go across the Sid Buckwold bridge and connect to 8th street.
One option downtown is to have a main line with dedicated bus lanes running down 3rd Avenue towards the broadway bridge, and along Broadway Avenue to 8th street. But this option has been the subject of concern for Nutana residents and businesses along broadway who say it would upset the character of the neighborhood, and lead to another long construction period which could disrupt activity. Others say broadway is more suited to pedestrian activity than as a BRT corridor.
A second option has a main line going down 1st Avenue and across the Sid Buckwold bridge connecting to 8th street. The report says this route would add streetscaping oopportunities on 1st Avenue while leaving the current 3rd Avenue streetscaping intact. It also says it could be a springboard for more development in the north and western areas of downtown. But it says high traffic volumes on 1st avenue could lead to additional impacts for vehicles, and there are some eastern parts of downtown that are beyond a 600-meter walking distance to a 1st Avenue station.
A third option is to run a main line down 1st avenue but still cross the broadway bridge and head down Broadway Avenue.
Representatives from midtown plaza have expressed support for having BRT going down 1st Avenue.
Councilor Cynthia Block says she’s heard from folks affect in both the downtown and broadway areas.
“There are many young entrepreneurs on broadway who have specifically said that it is critical to them that we have BRT on broadway. But that’s isn’t everyone’s thoughts on this. And I don’t know where council is going to land on it.”
No formal decision has been made on where the BRT routes will be located.
More consultations will be held over the next few months, with council expected to get a report back in the first quarter of 2019.
