Jasper Avenue: A 2nd chance to get Edmonton's main street right
West leg of avenue scheduled to be completely rebuilt in 2019
People living in west downtown are getting a chance to help redesign the main corridor through the city's most populous neighbourhood, a street many find unfriendly and barren.
"Jasper Avenue is not a very pedestrian friendly place," said Edmontonian Bruce Cinnamon. "It's not a destination where I want to go and spend any time."
"It's generally a place where I grit my teeth and make my way through it as opposed to enjoying the time that I spend there."
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Jasper Avenue between 109th Street and 124th Street is scheduled for complete reconstruction in 2019, giving the city a golden opportunity to develop the street into a vibrant stretch, inviting to both residents and visitors.
The project kicked off Wednesday night with an open house inviting people to share their ideas on how to to do that.
"I am excited about the possibility of making it into a better place where people want to spend their time," Cinnamon said at the workshop hosted at Christ Church.
It's important that residents are part of the process, said Coun. Scott McKeen.
"Anybody who lives in any part of the city will appreciate it if we get it right in Oliver," he said.
He looks forward to wider sidewalks offering more room to pedestrians and restaurant patios, but without impeding vehicle traffic.
"We will see more restaurants develop on Jasper Avenue, more small clubs, maybe music clubs, boutiques and galleries."
Cinnamon and other residents brainstorming at the workshop had a few ideas of their own.
"It would be great to have a shuttle bus between 82nd Street and 124th Street just running the entire length of Jasper Avenue as one dedicated bus system," he said. "And then really build up these different nodes along the street as destinations to visit."
More information on the project is available here.