Abstract Manager

Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC), along with ISL, is completing a regional network study to determine the next 50 years of the Edmonton region’s transportation network. The Edmonton Region Network Study (ERNS) represents a comprehensive initiative aimed at developing the transportation infrastructure required across the Edmonton area to support the growth to a regional population of 3 million. ERNS addresses the region’s evolving transportation needs by forecasting future demand. evaluating existing and potential new highway corridors and recommending strategic investments to enhance connectivity, safety, and economic growth.

The project’s methodology integrates land use planning, advanced traffic modelling, stakeholder engagement, and multiple account evaluation. The project began with land use planning, with each municipality outlining their growth plans to establish future travel demand. A base network was agreed on, using the past Integrated Regional Transportation Master Plan as a basis for improvements from the existing infrastructure. Past planning studies and new ideas were used to create a list of over 100 potential projects.

These projects were grouped into 5 packages for modelling purposes, with each package being tested with the anticipated travel demand to see how each project supported the network. Each project was also independently evaluated across 29 MAE criteria covering Modelling Metrics, Economic Competitiveness, Sustainable and Resilient Communities, Health and Environment, Serving Diverse Needs of the Region, Network Reliability, and Funding and Value.

The modelling results and MAE evaluation, combined with stakeholder feedback were used to create a recommended transportation network. The project team went through 12 sub areas, comparing competing corridors and their merits across all factors of evaluation. This resulted in a robust and resilient future recommended network, which is set to be endorsed by the regional elected officials.

ERNS demonstrates the value of integrated, evidence-based planning in addressing future transportation needs. Its process and outcomes provide a replicable framework for other jurisdictions seeking to balance infrastructure investment, safety, and economic development in growing regions.