Delegates Program - Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research

Night Ride:
Piloting a late-night bus, using public transit, to provide a quick and safe late night transportation
option and reduce taxi wait times for employees and patrons in the area.
Speaker:
Cindy Davies, Street-as-a-Venue Coordinator
Whyte Avenue, Responsible Hospitality Edmonton, Sustainable Development City
of Edmonton
What was the actual and/or potential alcohol-related injury issue(s) you identified in your
community?
As noted in many cities, there is a lack of late night transportation options at closing time
of licensed venues, particularly on weekends. This creates a competitive environment
where impatience, frustration and discomfort can lead to anti-social behaviour;
congestion on sidewalks can lead to aggression and violence, and patrons are exposed to
increased risk for pedestrian-vehicle collisions in efforts to secure a ride. Community
neighbours are disturbed
What did you do to address the identified issue(s)?
Trialed a late night public transit project that had buses run every 12 minutes on a circular
route through the Whyte Avenue entertainment district, to University residences, through
student populated communities and to a Taxi Stand from which patrons could take a cab
to further destinations
What outcomes did you observe?
Late night patrons want to go home - the major complaint was the trial should have been
more extensive to include more areas of the city
Bus riders were pleased with an option of a warm, safe, low-cost ride that allowed them
to leave the area. 70% of riders disembarked along the route. Those who used the Taxi
stand stated the bus ride was preferable to competing for a cab on Whyte, as cabs were
available within minutes
There were no incidents of note at bus stops, on the bus, at the Taxi stand, in taxis or in
communities along the route. There was only one “sick bus”. Numbers were not high
enough to ascribe any definitive reductions in Police activity
Taxi drivers used the taxi stand as it reduced their unpaid return time by 30 blocks and
they avoided the risks of pedestrian collisions created by people wanting a cab running
into the street on Whyte
How might other Alberta communities use this information?
By identifying the magnitude of the gap between available transportation and the
numbers of patrons who have chosen to not drink and drive, communities begin to
understand the impacts created by this gap (litter, noise, public urination, vandalism and
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