Transportation

In Transit Newsletter - April 2011

The Every Day Way to Take ETS at Easter

We’ve modified transit service for the Easter Holiday, April 22- 25. Look for our special Easter service hanger available on the buses and LRT.

On Good Friday, April 22, all ETS routes will be running on regular Sunday schedules. Regular weekend schedules apply on Saturday and Easter Sunday.

On Easter Monday, April 25, we’ll be operating modified service schedules. Both the AM and PM peak period schedules have been adjusted to address the travel requirements of customers who will be working on Easter Monday.

Easter transit information is available by calling 311. Check the ETS Trip Planner or call BusLink at 780-496-1600 for complete route and schedule details.

Spring Service Changes

ETS will be making major changes to service starting Sunday, May 1, 2011. We’ve produced a special service changes brochure available on all buses in mid April.

Residents in north east and west Edmonton neighbourhoods will see changes to their transit service as ETS opens two new transit centres: Eaux Claires at 97 Street & 157 Avenue and Lewis Farms on 87 Avenue west of Anthony Henday Drive. Each of these facilities has free parking available for customers.

Customers traveling on transit routes using Scona Road will be on detour for most of the spring, summer and fall as 99 Street north of 82 Avenue and Scona Road are closed for road reconstruction.

The remainder of the service changes are regular seasonal reductions due to the end of the school terms at University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan University and NAIT.

Congestion Relief on LRT

Congestion relief is on the way for LRT weekday commuters.

We’ve been testing 4-car SD160 trains during the weekday peak periods and mid-day to see how the line manages the power requirements after nine months of upgrade work on the power system.

Our goal is to have 12 of the 15 trains in peak service operate as 4-car trains. These 4-car trains will be either the old U2 or the new SD160 vehicles. Running 4-car trains enables us to improve service to customers particularly during the morning and afternoon commute.

Scona Road/99 Street Service Changes

Customers traveling on transit routes using Scona Road will be on detour for most of the spring, summer and fall as 99 Street north of 82 Avenue and Scona Road are closed for road reconstruction.

Bus routes 7, 57, 62, 63, 70, 81 and 87 will be on detour during construction and will not be using 99 Street or Scona Road to and from downtown. The detours will add approximately 5 - 8 minutes to travel time in each direction.

Route 390 is a new shuttle service for residents/businesses, traveling along 99 Street from Saskatchewan Drive to 82 Avenue (southbound only), connecting to the University. It will be operating during the Scona Road/99 Street Rehabilitation Project (May to November, 2011). The route will operate 7 days a week from start to end of service on a 20 minute frequency through most of the day, with a 30 minute frequency during evenings, late night and Saturday and Sunday mornings until 9am.

Bus stops along 99 Street may be moved or temporarily closed as construction progresses.

Updated route maps and schedules will be available in mid-April.

Take the Poetry Route is Back

Take the Poetry Route has been putting poems by Alberta writers, including school children, on transit vehicles in Edmonton since 1999. Poems are selected for publication on interior advertising panels on ETS buses and LRT.

Edmonton is the third city in Canada, after Vancouver and Toronto, to have a poetry-in-transit project. The Edmonton Arts Council is the driving force behind this successful project which is supported by ETS, the City of Edmonton, The Canada Council for the Arts and Pattison Outdoor Group.

This project celebrates the work of poets and makes riding public transit a more enriching and pleasurable experience.

New Eaux Claires Transit Centre Opens

This new transit centre at 97 Street and 157 Avenue is designed to improve transit service to the neighbourhoods of Carlton, Oxford, Dunluce, Beaumaris, Lorelei, Baturyn, Chamberry, Elsinore, Lago Lindo, Klarvatten, Schonsee, Eaux Claires, Belle Rive, Mayliewan and Ozerna.

It includes a park and ride site of 300 parking stalls with enhanced lighting, security cameras and emergency phones. Transit service from this facility includes local routes 9, 16, 145, 150, 163, 168, 180, 190, 194 and 199 and express routes 15, 16, 162 and 180.

2011 Senior Passes

Just a brief reminder that seniors should now be using their 2011 Senior Citizen Annual Passes starting April 1.

The 2010 annual pass expired on March 31. If you have questions or concerns about the passes, please call 780-496-1665.

New Lewis Farms Transit Centre Opens

This new transit centre on 87 Avenue west of Anthony Henday Drive provides enhanced service to residents in the neighbourhoods of The Hamptons, Glastonbury, Potter Greens, Webber Greens, Suder Greens and Breckenridge Greens.

It includes a park and ride site of over 600 parking stalls with enhanced lighting, security cameras and emergency phones.

Transit service from this facility includes local routes 4, 108, 117, 119, 136 and express routes 100 and 133.

Transit Tax Credit Available

Remember that you can claim a federal tax credit for your monthly transit passes.

Check the Canada Revenue Agency website for details.

For more information:

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