EDDIE

Paula Simons wrote a column in today's Journal about the EDDIE bus, and its lack of riders. I agree with some of her points, mainly on the fact that some of Edmonton's premier attractions (most notably Fort Edmonton Park and the Valley Zoo) are under served by transit. However, I disagree that EDDIE is the best way to serve these attractions. For someone on 124 St heading downtown, would they rather wait up to an hour for an EDDIE bus that costs $15, or pay $2.50 and hop on the first 5 or 135, which have a combined 7 minute service, that shows up?
We need to provide better public transit to our major attractions, but not with a winding, circuitous route that costs 6 times as much as a regular bus. In its current form, EDDIE is more of a publicity stunt than an effective part of our transit system.
Here are some things that can be done to provide the same service goals as EDDIE, but in a more efficient manner:
1) Expand the 596. The current service only runs Sundays and once an hour. Make it a 7 day a week service from Bonnie Doon to West Edmonton Mall, serving Whyte Ave, University (where it could connect with the LRT), Fort Edmonton, the Zoo and WEM. Increase frequency to every 30 minutes, and alterante low floors with historic buses on this route.
2) Promote existing services. Have the 124 St area promote the 5 and 135 to their area, include information on how to get to the attractions via transit in brochures.
3) Provide a series of shorter shuttles, similar to the existing 596 (University to FEP) and 599 (Southgate to Snow Valley). Some potential routes include 598 (Westmount to Space and Science Centre er Telus World of Science), 597 (Kingsway to Aerospace Museum) and 594 (Downtown to Muttart). Running these short shuttles would provide a more frequent service to these attractions, and provide a better connectivity to the transit network. To get on EDDIE right now, you pretty much have to get it Downtown or at the University, as most of the stops are located only at the major attractions, with the buses zooming by express along the rest of the route.
The other point made in the article was that EDDIE is an excellent way to see the sights of Edmonton. If you want to see the sights of Edmonton from a bus, I'd recommend taking the ETS historic tours, which also allow you the chance to ride on an historic bus, and provide live commentary on the history of Edmonton.
Or ride the High Level Bridge Streetcar, which offers an unparalled view from the top of the world's highest streetcar river crossing.