The Edmonton–Calgary corridor transportation study

The Edmonton–Calgary corridor transportation study is an example of multimodal intercity passenger transportation planning in a low-density corridor. This represents a departure from most corridor studies, which have been conducted in the most intensively travelled and densely populated regions. The study provided the background data, information, and analysis to facilitate transportation planning in the Edmonton–Calgary corridor region. A wide range of capital-intensive alternatives (particularly for the rail and air modes) and a number of transportation system management alternatives are related to transportation issues in the corridor region in a multimodal systems analysis framework.This paper discusses a number of unique approaches used in the study that were the result of the need to deal with the low-density aspects, the need to consider both regional and intercity travel, and the inherent design of the study. These include its iterative approach to the analysis, its handling of the demand and cost analysis, its consideration of multimodal impacts, and the emphasis on identifying key issues and resulting strategic choices. The success and drawbacks of these methodologies are reviewed.The paper also reviews the major findings of the study, many of which can be extended to a more general context: a competitive market analysis may be of little interest in low-density regions; new technologies tend to bias even further the imbalance between intercity and regional transportation service; the automobile has a key role to play in regional transportation; for many transportation needs the intercity bus is an economical and efficient mode; and an improved rail service is an uncertain and long-term venture, which could detrimentally affect all intercity bus service in the region.