A Tale of Two Cities: Light Rail Transit in Canada

Abstract

Toronto and Montreal are often cited for having effectively tied together rail transit and land‐use planning. This paper probes whether two other Canadian cities, Calgary and Edmonton, have been equally successful with their recent light rail transit systems. Both Calgary and Edmonton have pioneered the development of the modern‐day version of turn‐of‐the‐century streetcar technology. Moreover, both have pursued creative approaches to zoning, joint development, cost sharing, and parking policies. An examination of before and after data, however, suggests that LRT's impacts on densities, residential construction, and mixed‐use development have been quite modest in both places. Moreover, costs per passenger have risen steadily during the post‐LRT period in both places, while total transit patronage levels have stabilized. It is apparent that the recent downturn in both Calgary's and Edmonton's petroleum‐sensitive economies have overshadowed any effects of LRT on urban form or travel behavior. Some local observers, however, remain optimistic that the longer term consequences of LRT in both communities will be substantial.