Everyone’s got to get around. From home to work or school or play, we all walk, roll, bus, and drive together through Edmonton.

First and foremost, we all want to get to where we are going safely, and in a timely manner. It’s also safe to say we all want our tax dollars to return good value and provide good quality of life to Edmontonians. Twice per year the city makes budget adjustments in part to account for inflation, economic shifts and funding changes from other levels of government. The annual tax rate is then set. That process begins again in early December. Here’s our thoughts going into the 2024 Fall Supplemental Budget Adjustment. 

Just on transportation alone, which includes roads, bridges and transit, the city is spending about $8.1 billion during this four-year cycle (capital and operational). The Active Transportation Network Expansion project is allocated an average of $25 million each year, or about 1.2% of that total spend. While being a very small budget line, we’re already seeing big positive impacts from this project in our communities and we urge Council to keep the Active Transportation Network Expansion funding intact. 

A report analyzing the effect of reducing annual spending for the Neighbourhood Renewal program by 25% and 35% was released this week, which is a budget adjustment we urge Council not to pursue. Neighbourhoods are scheduled to be reconstructed every 50-60 years, so planning involves a balance between the current needs but also the livability and mobility in the future. Important elements related to roads, sidewalks and other active transportation infrastructure along with streetlights, landscaping and outdoor public spaces as well as safety considerations such as traffic calming strategies are all part of the planning and implementation. This program provides sustainable and predictable infrastructure renewal for our communities that we all benefit from and we hope to see it continue at its current pace and funding.

Council has some tough choices ahead but making cuts to active transportation spending or neighbourhood renewals would be a dangerous and costly decision resulting in a less safe and healthy city that would also be worse off financially. Here’s some top reasons why we need to keep these initiatives fully funded, now and in the future.

Safer streets for everyone – including drivers

Ongoing research continues to show that quality, protected bike infrastructure does double duty. It not only protects people on bikes but also acts as a form of traffic calming that benefits all users from the dangers of higher vehicle speeds within our city streets – and that includes folks driving, walking, taking transit or using a mobility device. Our Neighbourhood Renewal Program has also been an invaluable initiative to create safer streets and communities for people to move around and live in. As communities undergo modern design and safety elements such as curb extensions, raised crossings and narrowed vehicles lanes, that results in reduced collisions, injuries and deaths.

Fiscal responsibility and fairness

In terms of transportation spending, the $25 million per year from 2023-26 allocated to active transportation represents about 2% of the $5 billion four-year capital budget for transportation. Much of that is for shared pathways, where pedestrians and people with wheels share wide pathways. This is fair spending that recognizes not everyone can or does drive, and people deserve viable options  for moving around the city, regardless of their age, gender, ability, or income. About 12.5% of all trips to work are currently made by active transportation and that number is higher in areas with better infrastructure, so this work makes an impact. Part of the reason Edmonton’s City Plan has targeted 50% of all trips be made by public transit or active transportation such as walking and cycling is because it’s more fiscally sustainable. But we won’t realize those financial benefits if we don’t invest appropriately through our neighbourhood renewal projects and the build-out of our active transportation network. 

Public health

Investing and encouraging active transportation for some or most of our trips can pay significant dividends for our health and quality of life as well as in overall government health spending. About 60% of urban trips globally are shorter than 5km and could be cycled. About 25% of trips are shorter than 1km but more than half of those are travelled by vehicle. Fewer vehicle trips would not only help reduce traffic congestion on our roadways, but also improve air quality. There are additional health benefits to gain as well. Health experts recommend 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity like bike riding or brisk walking at least five days per week (150 minutes/week in total) to reduce the risk of health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers. But only about half of Canadians get enough physical activity according to Statistics Canada. Quality bike and walking infrastructure that is safe, enjoyable, well-connected and viable year-round are important factors in encouraging more people to consider active transportation – a great health-care policy  

Year-round options

Arguments are made that Edmonton is a winter city which limits biking and it is absolutely true that cycling numbers drop off for a few months – although more people are choosing to ride in the winter every year. An incomplete bike network, poor road and path conditions, and an overall lack of feeling safe are bigger barriers to more people biking in winter than the weather. Regardless, using the logic that the snow and cold is a reason for not investing in good quality bike infrastructure is like saying we shouldn’t fund outdoor playgrounds, public swimming pools and spray parks, golf courses, sports fields and courts because they are mostly utilized in summer. In a city with four distinct seasons, usage of different amenities changes throughout the year and our city would be much worse off if we didn’t invest in these activities.

To help make Edmonton’s streets and neighbourhoods safer, our city more financially and environmentally sustainable, and to promote healthy, active living for both physical and mental health, we hope city council is unanimous in its support of maintaining full funding for the active transportation and neighbourhood renewal programs in this current budget cycle and continues to invest in these great city building initiatives in the years to come. 

How can you help? Email your Councillor before December 2, 2024, with your support of these programs! Together, we can speak up and keep positive change in our city rolling for years to come. 

If desired, you can build your email off of the email template provided below:

To:

[email protected] (this sends your email to all members of city council)

Email Subject Line:

Protecting Important City Programs – 2024 Fall Supplemental Budget Adjustment

Email Body:

Dear members of Council,

My name is [your name] and I am a resident of [neighbourhood]. I am writing to you today in regards to the upcoming fall supplemental budget adjustment and urge you to keep funding for the Active Transportation Network Expansion and Neighbourhood Renewal programs intact. While I recognize that City Council is faced with tough financial decisions in this budget season, these programs are incredibly important and successful, and reducing their funding would be a dangerous and costly decision resulting in a less safe and healthy city that would also be worse off financially. 

[Add some personal reasons/stories about why you value these programs]

Thank you,

[your name]