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Valley Line Southeast is now open for passenger service. Over the coming months, there will be system fine-tuning, construction clean up and warranty work occurring along the line. This work does not affect the safe operation of the system.
Valley Line Southeast trains opened for passenger service on Saturday November 4, 2023.
Valley Line Southeast is a new low-floor transit system designed to fit into neighbourhoods. This means there are no crossing arms, gates or bells at intersections. Learn more at Pedestrian and Traffic Safety.
Valley Line Southeast runs 13 km from Downtown to Mill Woods and features:
Careful consideration went into the planning of the Valley Line. But it’s only one part of a larger vision. The City of Edmonton handles feedback regarding:
TransEd will operate and maintain the Valley Line Southeast until 2050. TransEd handles feedback regarding:
In-depth look at planning and history of the Valley Line Southeast project, plus southeast portion route maps, August 2016.
There are a lot of things to consider when building an LRT line. As projects progress details like design, agreements, impacts and reporting become defined.
A major priority of the Valley Line project is to design a transit system that both meets the overall goal of LRT expansion and fully integrates into the communities it serves. Through direction from the City and two years of public consultation, an extensive list of design guidelines that emphasize Sustainable Urban Integration (SUI) was established.
SUI looks beyond the building of tracks and trains to create neighbourhoods that are safe, attractive and connected. This involves designing livable, pedestrian-friendly environments and adding enhancements that reflect the feel and character of each of the communities along the LRT corridor.
Some examples of SUI enhancements include:
Community members had direct involvement in determining how the LRT would visually fit into their neighbourhood. They were able to weigh in on designs for certain elements such as structures, buildings and landscaping railings, columns and paved surfaces to reflect the distinct nature and character of each area or “Character Zone” along the alignment.
These guidelines were incorporated into the Valley Line LRT Design Guide, a document that became the foundation for specific design requirements included in the Valley Line LRT - Stage 1 Project Agreement.
Developed specifically for Edmonton’s Valley Line, SUI terminology and framework is starting to be adopted as best industry practice for new LRT projects across the country. This is another example of Edmonton leading the way in innovative LRT design and construction principles.
The Valley Line crosses the North Saskatchewan River Valley through Louise McKinney Riverfront Park, Gallagher Park, and along the north side of Connors Road, which is recognized as an important municipal and regional wildlife movement corridor. The Valley Line Environmental Impact Screening Assessment, prepared before construction, suggested a potential adverse impact on wildlife movement in the vicinity of Connors Road.
To fulfill the City’s commitment to conserve Edmonton's natural areas and enhance regional wildlife connectivity throughout the North Saskatchewan River Valley and ravine system, a wildlife passage structure was constructed in this area as part of the required mitigation measures for the Valley Line LRT. This wildlife passage structure is also intended to help reduce negative human-wildlife interactions, including the risk for wildlife-vehicle collisions, by facilitating wildlife movement across Connors Road.
Since the completion of the Valley Line LRT, a five-year post-construction monitoring program was initiated to understand the effectiveness of the wildlife movement mitigation measures and to assess the impact of the new LRT on the area.
It’s important to recognize that results are preliminary findings representing one year of monitoring data based on limited data points. As such, no conclusions can be drawn on wildlife movement or use of the wildlife passage at this time. The City is continuing a five-year monitoring program to fully understand wildlife movement in this area.
Year One (2024-2025) Monitoring Key Findings
Valley Line Southeast LRT Connors Road Post-Construction Wildlife Movement Monitoring:
Final Report (2024-2025) (14.59 MB)
City Council has accepted the recommendation of the Transportation Committee and approved updates to the Environmental Impact Screening Assessment and Site Location Study. These updates include minor adjustments to the Project Area in the North Saskatchewan River Valley made in response to stakeholder concerns identified during the preliminary design process. The Transportation Committee made its recommendation on March 25, following a non-statutory public hearing which featured presentations from LRT Design and Construction, citizens, and community groups.
The City is making slight adjustments to plans for the Valley Line LRT in the river valley in response to stakeholder concerns identified during the preliminary design process. As required by Bylaw 7188 (the North Saskatchewan Area Redevelopment Plan), the Environmental Impact Screening Assessment and Site Location Study accepted by City Council in September 2013 are being updated to reflect these changes. Among other things, these adjustments are intended to:
Open House Displays (10 MB)
As outlined in the North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan (City of Edmonton Bylaw 7188), Stage 1 of the Valley Line LRT has performed a comprehensive Environmental Impact Screening Assessment (EISA) of affected sites. This assessment details potential impacts, areas of concern and mitigation measures for River Valley sites affected by Valley Line LRT construction and operation. The assessment has now been completed and is available here, along with the accompanying Site Location Study (SLS).
Valley Line LRT Stage 1 Environmental Impact Screening Assessment (40 MB)
EIA - By Section:
- Executive Summary and Introduction
- Project Description
- Methods
- Key Environmental and Socio-Economic Issues
- Existing Conditions
- Impact and Mitigation Measures
- Summary Assessment
- References
- Advances on Alignment at Connors Road
- Materials Consulted In Preparation of Project Description
- Public Involvement Process
- River Hydraulics Report
- Fisheries Reports
- Vegetation Data
- Wildlife Species Potentially Found In the Study Area
- Historical Resources Reports
Schedule 1 - Definitions and Interpretation
Schedule 2 - Submittal Review Procedure
Schedule 3 - Construction Schedule
Schedule 4 - Design and Construction Protocols
Schedule 5 - Part 1 - Appendix 5-1A Project Description Drawings
Schedule 5 - Part 2 - Sustainable Urban Integration
Schedule 5 - Part 2 - Appendix 5-2A 102 Avenue Streetscape Drawings
Schedule 5 - Part 3 - Appendix 5-3A Access and Road Closures Plan
Schedule 5 - Part 3 - Appendix 5-3B 102 Avenue Drawing
Schedule 5 - Part 3 - Appendix 5-3B 102 Avenue Drawing 2
Schedule 5 - Part 4 - Transportation and Building Structures
Schedule 5 - Part 5 - Facilities
Schedule 5 - Part 7 - Light Rail Vehicles
Schedule 7 - Operations and Maintenance Performance Requirements
Schedule 8 - Intellectual Property
Schedule 9 - Quality Management
Schedule 10 - Environment Performance Requirements
Schedule 11 - Project Safety Requirements
Schedule 12 - Public Communications and Public Engagement
Schedule 14 - Appendix A - City Lands Descriptions
Schedule 14 - Appendix B - City Lands Site Plans
Schedule 14 - Appendix C - Identified Encumbrances
Schedule 14 - Appendix D - Existing Railroad Agreements
Schedule 14 - Appendix E - Existing Pipeline Agreements
Schedule 15 - Independent Certifier Agreement
Schedule 16 - Payment Mechanism
Schedule 17 - Insurance Requirements
Schedule 18 - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Schedule 19 - Records and Reports
Schedule 20 - Dispute Resolution Procedure
Schedule 21 - Direct Lender Agreement
Schedule 22 - Collateral Agreements
Schedule 23 - Extracts from Proposal
Schedule 24 - Project Co's Ownership Information
Schedule 25 - Completion Documents
Schedule 26 - Representatives and Key Individuals
Schedule 27 - Expansion Protocols
Schedule 28 - Part A -Project Approvals
Schedule 28 - Part B - Utility, Railway and Pipeline Matters
In August 2012, City Council approved a public-private partnership (P3) project delivery model to design, build, finance, supply vehicles, operate and maintain the Valley Line LRT - Stage 1 from Mill Woods to 102 Street in Edmonton. The City committed to providing a value for money assessment to ensure the P3 structure offered value for money to the governments and citizens of Edmonton, Alberta and Canada compared to other forms of procurement.
Procurement Summary Report - Attachment 1 - Fairness Monitor Report
Explanation of Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) redactions on the Project Agreement.
Third party confidential information (s. 16).
Information provided in TransEd's Proposal (Technical or Financial) which:
Personal information (s. 17).
Generally, names and personally identifiable information have been redacted to protect personal privacy.
Public safety (s. 18).
Information which could reasonably be expected to interfere with public safety. In particular, information about surveillance or security systems and specific requirements for access and egress for public facilities may fall under this category (unless it is a reference to compliance with codes or standards).
Harmful to law enforcement (s. 20).
Information that could harm the effectiveness of investigative techniques or procedures.
Advice from officials (s. 24).
This section only applies to information which reveals the City’s plans or positions as it relates to parties other than TransEd which could interfere in the City’s future negotiations with those other parties.
City’s economic interests (s. 25).
Information in the project agreement which could affect the City’s economic interests if released:
information that:
As part of an ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability, the City releases periodic reports to provide an overview of progress and performance on the Valley Line Project. These reports include a summary of work completed by TransEd Partners and the City.
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2023
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2023
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q1 2023
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q4 2022
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2022
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2022
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2021
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2021
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q1 2021
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q4 2020
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2020
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2020
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q1 2020
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q4 2019
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2019
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2019
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q1 2019
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q4 2018
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2018
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2018
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q1 2018
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q4 2017
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q3 2017
Valley Line Southeast progress report Q2 2017
City Council considered the impact on property owners when approving the route for the Valley Line LRT and ultimately selected an alignment that minimizes the need for the acquisition of private property. However, in some cases, privately-held property will need to be acquired in order for the project to move forward. Potential property needs for the Valley Line were assessed during the preliminary engineering process completed in 2013.
If a property owner and the City property agent cannot reach an agreement to purchase the property, the City may proceed with expropriation of the property as a last resort.
