Amarjeet Sohi, Edmonton Ward 12 Councillor

Thank you, Amarjeet, for remaining passionate & committed to what is, without question, the most important project that Edmonton needs to complete. While I'm pleased that the southeast line is the next step, I put to you a few thoughts. With a 2014-2018 timeline recommended for the southeast line, why not be more ambitious and push for concurrent starts to ALL remaining lines including a much needed and no less important line to the Edmonton International Airport. The federal government has stated, and I'm paraphrasing, that LRT is their priority, when it comes to infrastructure funding. Provincially, there is Green Trip money, that if I'm not mistaken, is money that belongs to us anyways, so the money is there somewhere. We need to push our partners in government to assist us in getting this long overdue necessity completed. We don't need this project complete in years to come .... we need it now. All of it. Thank you, Amarjeet.

Mark,
Thanks for your thoughts on this. We do need to have the whole LRT network up and running, but I believe our best strategy is to proceed in stages. The concern with the Federal and Provincial funding sources is that, at present, they are not guaranteed over the long term. To build the NAIT line, for example, the City took an opportunity by moving ahead when it did, before other orders of government had committed firmly to that line (which they now have). Without a coordinated infrastructure strategy that provides us with sustainable, dedicated funding, we are in a difficult position. There's also a limit to industry capacity with a project of this magnitude, so, again, I think we're better served by advancing in stages as we're able to acquire land, secure funding, and coordinate interest rates and construction costs.

LRT is a real blessing. You can reach your destination fast and you pay a reasonable ticket fee. With all the terrible traffic on the roads, going by train is the best option to travel. tile and grout cleaning Sydney