Electric trolleybuses operated in Edmonton from 1939 until
May of 2009, when the system was closed by a decision of the City Council,
prompted by administration.
Trolleybuses operated on a network of approximately 140 kms of infrastructure
and served 46 communities in the central core of the city. By any measure, this
was quite an extensive system.
Trolleybuses were generally favored by residents of the communities they served
because of their fume-free and quiet operation.
Edmonton’s trolleybus infrastructure was relatively modern in design, having
been upgraded extensively and expanded in the 1980’s. However, the system fell
victim to poor management during the past two decades. Commitment to the
‘maximum utilization’ of trolleybuses, as dictated by City Council, was
decidedly lacking among administrators. Increasingly, diesel buses were
substituted for electric trolleys for the smallest of reasons, and the system
was no longer utilized to the extent that it was originally intended or
designed. This had the effect of driving up per unit costs.
Prior to the system’s closure in 2009, there was considerable debate about the
continued use of trolleybuses for more than four years. Several citizen and
community groups came forward in Edmonton and strongly challenged the one-sided
views presented by city administrators and their consultants seeking to
decommission the system. At first, citizens prevailed. A 2004 decision showed 8
councillors in favor of retaining trolleys, and only 5 against. But
administrators became much more aggressive with their tactics, and in 2008, when
the final decision to replace the trolley fleet had to be made, the citizens of
Edmonton lost their trolley system by one vote in City Council.
Administrators were very quick to dismantle the trolley infrastructure, and
today nothing visible remains of the extensive overhead wire network except for
the support poles. The removal of the trolley system represents a loss of
approximately $116 Million in capital assets to the citizens of Edmonton,
according to City records, plus approximately $6-7 million for dismantling.
The removal of electric trolleybuses from the streets of Edmonton has resulted
in more noise and more fumes in central communities of the city. There is also a
perception that the quality of transit service in these areas has declined, with
more irregularities in service frequency. At the very least, trolley abandonment
is a step backward in terms of transit improvement. But moreover, it is an
embarrassment to the good reputation that the City of Edmonton once enjoyed as a
progressive, forward-looking city, especially as we come ever nearer to the end
of the age of oil.
A compendium of documents relating to trolleybuses in Edmonton, as well as some
other cities, has been compiled for those wishing to research this topic and is
available here.