Building a new LRT line is a significant infrastructure project that can take several years of planning, engineering and public engagement before construction can begin.
The need for LRT in Edmonton was first identified in 1962. In 1978, ETS started operating Edmonton’s first LRT line from Belvedere station to Central station. With this, Edmonton became the first city in North America with a population of less than one million to build a modern light rail system.
In 2009, City Council adopted a long-term LRT Network Plan. As time passed, elements of the plan continued to evolve and were incorporated into The City Plan, Edmonton’s combined municipal development plan and transportation master plan. With the approval of The City Plan in 2020, the LRT network will continue to expand to all quadrants of the city in conjunction with bus rapid transit (BRT) along key routes.
The City considers the impact on property owners when approving projects and selects plans that minimize the need for the acquisition of private property. In some cases, privately-held property will need to be acquired in order for the project to move forward.
The City prefers to acquire properties needed for a project that are listed or otherwise offered for sale. For properties not offered for sale, a City of Edmonton property agent will contact owners when the City begins to actively acquire properties for the project. City property agents will negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach agreement with the owners to buy the required properties for fair compensation.
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.
Expropriation is a process by which an authority such as a municipality can acquire property or a portion of a property without the consent of the owner. The process is governed by the Alberta Expropriation Act. Expropriation in Alberta is overseen by the Land Compensation Board.
The City is committed to work with affected property owners to try to reach an agreement throughout the expropriation process.