Valley Line LRT
2014 - Present (Southeast and West); Combined Value: $4.4 Billion
Project Summary:
The Valley Line LRT is a 27-kilometre low-floor, urban light rail transit line that will operate between Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton and Lewis Farms in west Edmonton. The first stage, Valley Line Southeast, opened to passenger service in November 2023. Stage 2, Valley Line West, is under construction with completion planned by 2028.
Activities:
As a sub-consultant to AECOM, lead partner of ConnectEd Transit Partnership (Owner’s Engineer Team), Jack Stuempel was responsible for leading the City’s public engagement initiative through detailed design into early construction, with a major focus on the creation and facilitation of a series of Citizen Working Groups to ensure ongoing dialogue with affected communities. Key activities have included:
Providing strategic advice to senior management
Preparing and executing public engagement plans
Establishing, defining the role of and facilitating meetings of ten Citizen Working Groups
Leading public engagement for an update to the project’s Environmental Impact Screening Assessment
Involvement in the broader City Council Initiative on Public Engagement
Preparing advertisements, news releases, fact sheets, displays, web/social media content and other information materials
Responding to inquiries and addressing issues referred by City Councillors
Engaging stakeholders and the public formally and informally in open houses, town hall meetings and information sessions
Undertaking engagement of 28 Indigenous communities and organizations in Alberta
Researching, analyzing and reporting results of consultation activities including attendance and feedback
Results: While opportunites to influence design outcomes were constrained due to decisions made earlier in the design process, the ongoing dialogue contributed to some design adjustments for Valley Line West, and helped reduce the escalation of potential issues into the political sphere.
