MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

July 27, 2004: 6:23 PM

Edmonton Trolleybuses win Reprieve

Edmonton City Council voted 8 to 5 this afternoon in

favour of continuing with electric trolleybuses until

at least 2008, upholding but amending a July 20th

recommendation from the Transportation and Public

Works Committee. The decision followed 12 months of

debate about the future of the quiet and

environmentally friendly vehicles that serve 7 routes

and 46 communities in the city core. In a later

motion by Councillor Bryan Anderson, administration

was directed to maximize the operational cost-benefit

on the trolley system.

Also approved at the afternoon meeting were a

directive to test new low floor trolleys and hybrid

buses for evaluation, and a motion to have the

completion of a trolley extension to Northgate

considered in the 2006 budget.

Brian Tucker, Chair of the Edmonton Trolley Coalition,

applauded Council’s lead, saying it is a step in the

right direction. “We need to be looking ultimately at

renewing the trolley fleet”, said Tucker. “Getting a

demo low floor trolleybus to evaluate the latest in

trolley technology is a real necessity. We’ve seen

three hybrid diesel demos in one year, but no

trolleys. When you have a big investment in trolleys

like we have, you don’t just rip it down without

examining its value and full potential.”

“The motion to maximize the cost effectiveness of

trolleys is important as well,” added Tucker,

explaining how Council’s 1993 directive to maximize

the use of the system had not been fulfilled. City

Manager Al Maurer suggested during question period

that road construction projects might be staggered to

enable trolleys to continue operating during summer

months, a practice that had not been adhered to in the

past ten years. “Part of the problem is that the city

has substituted diesels in conditions where it could

be running trolleys, forcing trolley operating costs

upward,” Tucker said.

Citizens in attendance praised the decision as well,

expressing relief that their communities would not be

turned over permanently to diesel buses just yet.

Augustina Joyce, a resident of the Inglewood area,

stated that over 300 trolleys pass along her street

every weekday. “It would be like running 300 big

trucks through my front yard”, said Joyce, pointing

out how converting to diesel might detract from

efforts to revitalize her neighborhood. “I’m glad so

many councillors showed an interest in the impact on

citizens and why trolleys are important to us,” she

said. Rossdale resident Diane Oxenford lauded the

health benefits of trolleys, citing the pollution

impact of ever increasing numbers of diesel buses in

the city core.

“There’s been much fuss made about costs,” said

trolley supporter Martin Parsons, referring to a

statement made by Mayor Bill Smith that keeping

trolleys would require a tax increase. “The reality

is that administrative claims of savings by getting

rid of trolleys are exaggerated. Their own figures

show it’s costing the same money to tear down the

infrastructure as it is to maintain it for ten years,

so I don’t see any big savings.” Smith had tried to

persuade Council to pull the plug on the trolley

system, saying that retaining it was based on emotion

rather than business sense and suggesting the city

would have to increase taxes. In a July 6th meeting

of the Transportation and Public Works committee,

however, administration had stated that the money to

buy new trolleys was already in the long-term budget

and no additional taxpayer dollars would be required.

Today’s Council decision requires that administration

report back in 2008 regarding new trolley, hybrid and

other technologies as well as environmental issues.

There was no comment from city administration.

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