Navigating around the Valley Line West LRT construction isn’t just a challenge for drivers.
There are concerns around accessibility for people with disabilities trying to maneuver around the roadblocks.
Paula Stephenson lives near Stony Plain Road and 149 Street. She takes the bus a few times a week for her job.
She says as someone who uses a walker, it’s been frustrating trying to get around the curbs and detours.
“Not every sidewalk has the ramps, so I have to pick it up. If the sidewalk is muddy, I don’t want to get my wheels dirty,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson says ever since construction started in her neighbourhood, her bus route and bus stops keep changing.
She says she first lost a bus stop that was by her apartment, so she has to walk a few blocks down the street.
With an upcoming intersection closure at Stony Plain Road and 149 Street, she will lose her next closest bus stop.
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Stephenson says she will now have to walk an additional seven blocks to catch her bus and says the construction project has made it less accessible to get around.
“It’s going to take me about half an hour to 45 minutes just to walk there,” she explained.
Disability advocate Zachary Weeks sits on the Accessibility Advisory Committee, which consults with Edmonton city council on a monthly basis.
He says he hadn’t heard about accessibility issues in this construction area, but says there has been common issues at other construction sites.
“Construction crews leaving signs across the sidewalk instead of moving them off to the side,” he explained.
However, Weeks says whenever he voices his concerns in his consultations, city council is receptive of his feedback.
“The work has to be done, but we have to live our lives independently and safely as well,” he explained.
A statement from a city spokesperson explained that while the city recognizes that construction and detours are inconvenient, it is working to minimize disruptions while keeping bus routes on schedule.
“In areas with significant construction, we sometimes need to make tradeoffs to make sure transit service is maintained,” Sarah Feldman, director of Transit Planning, Ridership and Revenue with Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) said in her statement.
The statement goes onto say that ETS created a temporary on demand transit service that covers 149 Street and 95 Avenue.
“In order to minimize disruptions to the overall route, this may mean riders will have to temporarily walk a longer distance to a bus stop or use the ODT service. We appreciate the understanding and patience from transit riders while these temporary measures are in place,” Feldman said.
These changes will be in place until mid-September.
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