St. Albert supports joining regional transit plan

EDMONTON — The City of St. Albert is on board for a regional transit system.

City council voted in favour of joining a regional transit services commission on Monday night.

St. Albert is the first to officially declare its support for a regional plan. In total, 13 municipalities are considering integrating their transit services.

St. Albert City Councillor Wes Brodhead served as chair of the Regional Transit Services Commission transition team.

“We have a generational opportunity to change the region for the better with integrated transit,” Councillor Brodhead said when he made the motion in council. “This is a diverse group of municipalities working together for the benefit of everyone in the Edmonton Region.”

The transition team's report, released on Jan. 22, found that a regional mindset would improve mobility and options for all residents of the region and would create $3.4 million in operational savings each year.

The RTSC must get approval from the Government of Alberta before it can officially begin operations. A regional system could be up and running as soon as 2022.