Edmonton pilots late-night Whyte Avenue bus
Buses to clear bar crowd from popular party strip
The city is rolling out its late-night bus service on Whyte Avenue this weekend.
For the next three months, buses will run Saturday and Sunday mornings from 1:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
The service is to help alleviate congestion on Whyte Avenue at closing time and provide bar employees with transportation home, said Angela Turner, program manager for Responsible Hospitality Edmonton.
Buses will stop every 12 minutes along Whyte Avenue and head west to the University of Alberta, before turning south to the Southgate Transit Centre.
The buses will stop along 51st Avenue to Gateway Boulevard before heading back to Whyte Avenue.
The Night Ride pilot project was originally supposed to start in September, but was delayed after people living near Southgate complained about drunk bar patrons disrupting their neighbourhoods.
The city surveyed potential users and found most passengers will likely get off the buses along the route.
The more southside residents using the buses will mean more taxis on Whyte Avenue for residents going in other directions, said Turner.
The pilot will end April 14, with results going to city council in the spring.