Perhaps tying the public transit system to the music scene is my way of expressing my frustration with public transit within the city of Edmonton but it’s something that many of us have some experience with, or can likely relate to. There has been a lot of public frustration with the transit system in Edmonton. From long delays on the construction of LRT (light rail transit) lines, to LRT lines severely interrupting traffic flow, to several other issues and complaints; the list is endless.
I made the (poor) decision to use public transit to get to a bar for a metal show the other night. Wanting to have a few drinks before heading to the show, transit seemed like a logical option considering the home I was at was close to a major transit hub and taking a taxi was significantly more expensive. Before even boarding the LRT, a friend and I were aggressively harassed by two homeless people as we were purchasing tickets for the LRT. Although this indicates a larger problem within the city, the area we were in isn’t exactly known for issues like this. Although it is becoming more common. After that, it took an hour to get to the venue. A venue that would have been a fifteen or twenty minute drive.
I haven’t used public transit in the city since I was student and lived in the city for a few years. My experiences and observations on the way to the show the other night served as a reminder of why I have a severe dislike for the public transit system. When I first moved into the city, I was excited that it would be easy to get to shows or go out for a bar night with friends by simply hopping on transit and planning on using a taxi to get home. Perhaps I was naive, or perhaps experiences in other cities led me to believe the system would work, but my mind was quickly changed.
The public transit system is massively inefficient. Route frequencies change all of the time, supposedly reflecting user volume. Figuring out which route to take can be a challenge in comparison to finding the same information in other cities. Unless you’re traveling to a destination directly on the LRT line, good luck getting anywhere in reasonable time. And honestly, the LRT doesn’t go to that many places. It doesn’t even allow users to be transported to most of the major transit hubs in the area.
For a city that is spending a ridiculous amount of money on revitalizing areas that someone in power has decided to showcase, you’d think timely transit improvement would be a priority. It apparently is, but so far hasn’t been executed in any kind of manner that can be described as anything less than a giant cluster-fuck. Edmonton is so far behind other major cities in this regard that it’s actually embarrassing. Observing the LRT stations downtown doesn’t leave a very good impression. They’re poorly lit, run-down, dirty and generally tired and uninviting. Not to mention that security is non-existent. Speaking to above-ground bus stops, they’re not exactly comfortable places to be after dark. I don’t feel particularly safe waiting for twenty five minutes on a very poorly lit, dirty, side street in a sketchy area of the city. Would it really be that difficult to put some form of lighting at the bus stop itself? I’ve heard LED lights are a pretty cost efficient alternative...
In comparing Edmonton with other cities, I’ve seen several things that would ideally already be in place for an urban area claiming to be as modern and livable as Edmonton. For example, in Banff, QR codes are in place at the bus stops throughout the town. Scan the QR code and you have instant information about how long you will be waiting for your bus. You also have access to route information. Sure Banff is a small town, and a major tourist destination, but using QR codes to give simple information shouldn’t be that much of a stretch if the rest of the system was up to date. Which, in Edmonton’s case, it is not.
Perhaps I am so disappointed and frustrated with Edmonton’s transit system because I’ve spent a fair bit of time using transit in a country where it is actually efficient and user-friendly. Maybe it’s an unfair comparison to make between Edmonton and Helsinki (and Finland in general), but I would have thought that someone in this city would have had the foresight to see why a good public transit is an asset. I had very few problems figuring out exactly where I needed to go, and how to get there, while I was in Helsinki and various other cities in Finland. The vast majority of the information was in Finnish or Swedish, which are both languages that I have little grasp of. Yet the system itself was so user-friendly that I was able to use it hassle-free.
Helsinki also employs an easy payment system. At least they did when I was using transit there, which is now seven and eight years ago. It was simple to purchase a card, somewhat like a FOB, which could be loaded with money. When entering a bus or rail system, it was as simple as holding the card up to a reader, which would then deduct the appropriate fare for the trip. If you chose to use cash, the transit drivers had change available, dispensed through a machine at the front of the bus. Neither of these options exist in Edmonton. Sure you can buy a monthly or annual pass, but it’s not the same. You had better make sure you have the exact cash fare in Edmonton because you sure won’t get change back. Finland has a transit system that makes it easy to get from even the smallest rural areas to any major city. Going to a concert or festival was ridiculously easy. Purchase a train ticket and you could get almost anywhere. You didn’t have to drive, or makes plans to carpool and have a designated driver if there was the possibility of having a few drinks with friends.
In Edmonton, even taking a taxi has proved to be nothing but an expensive hassle. I can’t say I’ve ever had an overwhelmingly positive experience attempting to use taxis to get to or from shows in this city. From having to wait nearly an hour early in the evening to be picked up on the way to the show to having to wait the same amount of time in the cold after a show, only to fight with others waiting for a cab, to get home later; it’s a pain. I’ve had numerous taxi drivers attempt to take a much longer, inefficient route in order to collect a higher fare. I’ve had taxis say that they couldn’t drive me to my destination because it was “out of their way” even though it was well within city limits and less than a half hour drive. I haven’t used taxis in many other cities, but the experience I had using a taxi in Vancouver was the complete opposite. The fare was less than half of what I was expecting, based on what I knew of Edmonton taxis.
Considering all of the experiences I’ve had trying to use transit, and why I basically refuse to use it if possible in Edmonton, I’m left wondering how much the poor public transit system in Edmonton negatively affects the arts and music scene. Many venues have been forced to close or move to locations that aren’t easy to access with transit. Taking a taxi is expensive, and an option that concert goers on a budget have to weigh carefully. Taxi or merch? Taxi or a few drinks with friends? Is it worth the hassle of even attempting to get to and from the venue in the first place? Sure, it’s an option to drive oneself but it would be nice to have a good transit option available.
Getting home safely at the end of the night is a fairly major concern to me. Getting to a venue with minimal hassle helps to set the mood for an enjoyable night. When I lived in the city, there were shows and events that I skipped because I either did not feel comfortable taking transit in that area of the city, taking transit wasn’t a viable option, I couldn’t afford a taxi, or I simply did not want to drive. Perhaps it’s just my opinion, but I believe that a modern, efficient, user-friendly public transit system would help in allowing music lovers (of all genres) support the local scene. Beyond looking at it from the perspective of someone trying to get to and from shows, a good transit system would be an asset to the entire city. Some simple changes could make a big difference and should have been planned for, and implemented years ago.
