142 Street Pedestrian/Cyclist Bridge

Public input is an important factor to this project and we have heard how important community safety is through initial public engagement opportunities. The design of the bridge, active transportation connections and open space amenities include a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) review.

A CPTED review is a method to improve infrastructure safety by reviewing the project design to ensure it considers principles such as natural surveillance (“eyes on the street”) and encouraging positive activity.

Projections of pedestrian and bicycle rider volumes are not typically used to evaluate the need for new active transportation links. New locations are determined based on the connections they can provide in the context of Edmonton’s overall transportation network. This new connection will help link southwest Edmonton across Whitemud Drive, which is a barrier in the City’s current bike network.

However to better understand current and potential future use in the area, ridership counts were completed at the south end of 142 Street and at the existing Terwillegar Drive pedestrian/cyclist bridge. Approximately 560 users were observed in a day over the Terwillegar Drive pedestrian/cyclist bridge (75% pedestrians and 25% bicycle riders), and an estimated 150 users were counted in a day at the south end of 142 Street, the existing east/west shared-use path and the green space at the south end of 142 Street (50% pedestrians and 50% bicycle riders).

The current use of the Terwillegar Drive pedestrian/cyclist bridge is viewed to be comparable in scale to the anticipated use of the 142 Street pedestrian/cyclist bridge.

Any new shared-use paths and access points will be designed to minimize noise and light on adjacent properties. On this project, light impacts will be minimized through the use of modern lighting fixtures that are proven to nearly eliminate any light from the path onto nearby properties. 

With under 1000 vehicles per day and with the City-wide speed limit reduction to 40 km/h for most residential roads, 142 Street is anticipated to provide suitable conditions to safely accommodate bicycle riders of all ages and abilities.

The City is completing additional studies to confirm this as well as to inform the need for additional traffic calming elements as part of this option. 

An option on the lower west side of the berm was not one of the active transportation connection options presented in Phase 3 due to user experience, technical and financial considerations. However, during the third round of engagement, there was public feedback indicating a desire for this option to be considered.

The City is currently determining if additional consideration can be given to the possibility of a shared-use path along the west side of the berm in light of this input and further information will be provided at the next public event in late fall 2021.    

No, the options maintain the existing toboggan hill as it is today.

The preservation of the environment, including minimizing impacts to existing trees will be a key consideration during the planning phase. The two shared-use path options were selected to minimize impacts to existing trees, including along the top and lower east side of the berm, as well as newly planted trees in the existing open space located in the southwest corner of Brookside.

Additional trees and plantings will be considered as part of the open space amenity and landscaping opportunities.

The open space is currently allocated as road right-of-way. While the City has received feedback indicating a desire to consider additional upgrades such as an off-leash dog park, playground space, exercise equipment, sitting space and washrooms, the scope of the open space enhancement is limited to upgrades supporting the use of the bridge as a connection, as shown during the third round of engagement activities.

The budget for the bridge is a part of the Terwillegar Drive Expansion, with a contribution from the City through the 2019-2022 Capital Budget and the Province of Alberta. The budget for planning and design is $1 million. The current estimated cost for detailed design and construction of the bridge is $6 million.

All bridge options shown in Phase 3 are feasible under the current project budget at this time without any significant difference in cost. As the designs become more refined, any differentiation in cost between the options will become more apparent and will help to inform the selection of a preferred design option.

Connections to existing and planned active transportation routes are being considered as the design progresses. This project will design and build active transportation connections to the future shared-use path along Terwillegar Drive (Stage One), the existing shared-use path to Butterworth Way, the existing east-west shared-use path north of Whitemud Drive and between the north side of the bridge and 53 Avenue.

Upgrades to the existing east-west shared-use path along the north side of Whitemud Drive to enhance user safety and comfort are being considered as part of the Terwillegar Drive Stage Two project. Further input for connections outside of the project boundary will be collected for future potential projects.

Three bridge alignment options were considered and provided to the public for input. The options provided included one west of 142 Street and two east of 142 Street. From public input and technical information, the preferred bridge location was determined to be a hybrid of the options, slightly west of 142 Street.

Offsetting the alignment from 142 Street allows the design to avoid significant utilities which would potentially be costly to relocate. 

There are no policies or technical requirements for a pedestrian/cyclist bridge to be enclosed, for example, with a cage. The design of the bridge will utilize railing heights and designs that discourage undesirable interactions between bridge users and Whitemud Drive.

In response to the feedback shared by the public expressing the desire to include a cage, the option of fully enclosing the bridge will be further explored.