Edmonton transit must be safer and extra dependable for youth: survey

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Many Edmonton youth really feel there’s inadequate entry to transit within the metropolis and mentioned safety considerations have disincentivized them from taking transit, in response to a report performed by town in 2022.

The Metropolis of Edmonton Youth Council labored to learn how youths within the metropolis considered transit and offered their findings at Wednesday’s city planning committee assembly, offering suggestions to enhance transit expertise for youth riders.

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The survey was performed from March to June 2022 and acquired 193 responses which lined points and options for routes and timing, fee and affordability and luxury and safety.

Alain Humura, co-chair of the Metropolis of Edmonton Youth Council transit initiative, mentioned he and different youths within the metropolis have confronted points with accessing transit methods in much less populated areas of town.

“I believe there’s nonetheless some areas when it comes to faculties and particularly entry for me as somebody who lives within the southeast. I’m enthusiastic in regards to the progress that’s occurring however once more, there nonetheless continues to be gaps,” Humura mentioned.

Decrease bus frequency in neighbourhoods throughout non-peak hours and non-walkable transit stops have been a prime concern for teens. Solely eight per cent of respondents believed the Edmonton Transit System was dealing with the frequency nicely and simply over 70 per cent of youth are disincentivized to be on transit due to lengthy bus wait occasions because of decrease frequency.

Want for security on transit

Over three-quarters of respondents mentioned enhancing security and safety on transit would incentivize them to make use of the system.

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Tiffany Phan, co-chair of the Metropolis of Edmonton Youth Council transit initiative, reiterated the necessity for security on public transit methods.

“Growing security and safety is extraordinarily essential to youth,” mentioned Phan. “A very giant concern is that 61.3 per cent of youth mentioned that drug customers and homeless individuals make them really feel unsafe.”

The vast majority of youth need to see an enchancment in terms of security on transit, elevating problems with uncleanliness, feeling unsafe at nighttime, an absence of safety and encountering drug customers or houseless individuals. Many of those considerations have been localized to transit centres and LRT stations.

Sarah Feldman, director of enterprise integration and workforce improvement at ETS, mentioned to make sure youth and all Edmontonians really feel secure on transit, ETS has applied extra measures together with the addition of extra transit peace officers and Edmonton Police Service members.

ETS has been enhancing safe doorways, added extra CCTV cameras and supplied extra cleansing by way of a grant supplied by the federal government of Alberta.

“Now we have extra measures in place this 12 months than we’ve ever had,” mentioned Feldman.

“Youth and their guardians need to really feel secure in transit areas and we’re dedicated to protecting our youth riders secure.”

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