Why did Edmonton's newest LRT line take so long to get done?

CBC Edmonton waded through thousands of documents, never before seen by the public or city council, to find out why Edmonton's newest LRT line was three years behind schedule when it opened in November.
In addition, publicly available data shows more than two dozen safety violations and an injury rate for TransEd employees several times higher than the industry average. Experts say those figures raise concerns about the company’s approach to worker safety: • Worker injuries, safet...
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[@amo_res9266]

I think it’s great, I ride it everyday. The only problem is that it takes longer to ride compared to the existing lrt, but I like how it’s less busier, smoother, and less stress

[@youtubech6090]

Canadian cities need more subway

[@Jhartun]

They help a lot with the cold weather!

[@Ace96x10]

Corruption and incompetence. It's not hard to figure out.

[@debturcott6800]

😮I hope that contract company paid for their mistakes and time and not Edmonton.

[@maurobrandao9568]

Utter incompetence and a blatant disregard for taxpayers' money appear to be a recurring theme in Canadian transit projects. Toronto, exemplified by the ongoing Eglinton Crosstown project, is not exempt from these issues. Regrettably, it seems there is little we can do other than express our frustration, as this trend appears to be a persistent and unfortunate reality.

[@dagothhyde7297]

Vancouver is doing pretty good with theirs

[@passatboi]

At least you have an LRT. People in Winnipeg are jealous. They took years to build a busway, which is basically a road, and it still has traffic lights on it. :(

[@Jhartun]

All problems are valid. I hope Winnipeg gets their own LRT system soon.

[@greggreg2263]

Wow, three years behind schedule absolutely ridiculous. Everybody passing the buck None of these things. Should ever happen if things were managed properly😢

[@Rick-C-117]

Why doesn’t the media ever name the private contractors involved in these “consortiums”? They get to hide behind some name like TransEd or Translinx.

[@ingefriedbianca]

Governments do not choose contracting companies on the basis of experience or quality, they choose the lowest bidders.

[@chrthewrestler2301]

everything works so slow here in canada. are you new to canada? hahahahaha

[@chrthewrestler2301]

of course not the lowest bid. let's be honest, with that cost, other cities in other countries could do a complete underground metro with more stations. let's be honest. we should know why the costs were so high with old technology..... @@MrJoeSomebody

[@Rick-C-117]

They choose the lowest of two or three outrageously high bids.

[@user-ej4cy3im6h]

❤ love

[@comedianmattrossey]

Probably the same company that is building new lines here in Toronto, (GTA), as they also are running greatly behind. One such line here in Toronto is the Eglington LRT Line which is wayyyyy over on the time that was quoted for the line to be completed and running. And from what is publically known here, same kinds of problems and excuses. Meanwhile in Vancouver, where I used to live, has more than doubled the size, length and 3 of new stations, maybe even tripled them. And they are continuing to build more. When I was in Vancouver this past summer I was totally blown away by how the transit by Subway and LRT has grown and was intelligently designed. You can now get almost everywhere in the Lower Mainland of the GVRD. And with the new lines they are working on and completing now, in another 3 maybe 4 years there won't be anywhere in the GVRD including North and West Vancouver, that don't have some form of light rail accessible public transit.

[@AlbertMark-nb9zo]

It's not. It's a consortium, in a Private Public Partnership. Would some of the companies within be the same. Maybe but all large projects are subject to the same.

[@pannu679]

I think the Mayor is eating the money slowly ...

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

NIMBYs and car-addicted suburbanites. Enough said.

[@bullyarena3923]

Are we forgetting all the delays and lack of work during the pandemic?..and how hard it was to keep canadian workers on the job..the lack of concrete and building supplies the industry was going through, the influx of cheap foreign workers replacing locals that was happening at that time? Blatchford LRT had similar issues..I know this first hand.

[@firstlast-pt5pp]

they won the contract in 2016. 90% of the works are outside and the other engineering/admin works can be done at home.

[@alerickson3885]

Poor management by city officials. Clearly not qualified to oversee even simple projects. The city better fire those responsible. Our taxes shouldn't go to paying for failure.

[@mikemiller4776]

Canadian good works 👏

[@youtubech6090]

Canada need china not murica

[@chrthewrestler2301]

yes, to build high speed rail and sky scrappers. we dont have any of those. hahaaa. we are old have old technologies to be honest. hahaha the world has changed.

[@firstlast-pt5pp]

​@@chrthewrestler2301- a school in Ningbo, China is awarded "building of the year" in the world for 2023 - designed and built in China.

[@firstlast-pt5pp]

as if a quarter discount Canada has a say 😂

[@chrthewrestler2301]

what is it called? @@firstlast-pt5pp

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Left Edmonton for BC in 2004 and I'm happy with that decision. My house tripled in value and I missed the horror of all this construction.