WHAT IS IT?

If an army runs on its stomach then an economy runs on its transportation network.  Roads, rails, seaports and airports are critical pieces of infrastructure for moving people and goods around.  This is true of every community and Lethbridge is certainly no exception to the rule. 

In order to grow our economy and generate new funding for all both essential services and desired amenities, we need to consider our transportation infrastructure from a strategic perspective.  Lethbridge definitely has some room to grow before additional annexation of county lands is necessary to continue growth.   What if there was a different approach that minimized not only the amount of annexation necessary but also draws upon the surrounding region to compliment development in the city?   

A Regional Transportation Strategy could be the key to sustainable growth from an environmental,  economic and quality-of-life perspective.  Instead of endlessly gobbling up valuable farmland to build an ever increasing number of subdivisions, a two-pronged approach of increasing density within the City itself, and facilitating growth outside the City,  enables a new palette of possibilities to draw upon.   

When it comes to discussing transit the standard default is to think of busses.   The costs (and therefore the risks) of establishing a bus route network as the starting point may not be necessary.   Establishing demand through a series of measures as simple as ride-sharing and slowly scaling up in terms of the number of communities served,  vehicle size and frequency of service should be explored.   This has the combined effect of keeping costs down while demonstrating the benefits of a social solution.   

WHO NEEDS IT? 

We already know there are many reasons why families, workers, organizations and business owners might choose to live outside the City of Lethbridge while remaining within our economic “orbit”.  To accommodate further decentralization of activity across the region we can look at some key sectors that will produce mutually beneficial outcomes.   Here are a few that come immediately to mind while others are likely to emerge. 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Developing land for residential development in Lethbridge has historically been a reasonably affordable undertaking.  Several factors have meant it has become a false economy that leaves affordability in the lurch.  The City of Lethbridge has been participating in the land development business by buying up raw land and reselling it to developers – at a profit.  A significant amount of this development has occurred on the west side of the City.  This has placed additional pressure on road infrastructure and demands for another bridge with implications for heavily burdened taxpayers.  These factors, taken together, has created an increasingly unsustainable situation with serious consequences for affordability.  

A solution to Lethbridge’s affordable housing challenge by supporting housing development outside the City.  This could serve to make it possible for people with more limited financial resources to enjoy a higher quality of life at lower cost than offered in Lethbridge.   An effective regional transportation service would go far to effectively support such a initiatives.   

EXTENDED LIVING
People are living longer, healthier lives.  Ensuring the safety and well-being of a growing demographic segment of the population is creating financial challenges for individuals, families and society.   Reducing the cost of care and accommodation while enabling people to reside in their own communities when they are no longer able to live in their own homes is the goal.  Developing facilities in surrounding areas is one way to reduce costs.   Supporting the decentralization of senior living around the region with an effective transit system should be evaluated for potential benefit. 

TRAVEL & TOURISM
Growing the economy of Southern Alberta benefits us all.   While the Agri-food sector is important,  enabling businesses, investors and tourists to visit is critical to growing the both travel and leisure sector.  This means more patrons for hotels and restaurants while attending venues and attractions throughout Southern Alberta.  The Lethbridge Airport is a critical element in this scenario and reaching “critical mass” of 250,000 passengers per year as quickly as possible is necessary to make this a viable solution.  Reaching this objective can be accelerated by feeding travelers to YQL with an effective regional transit system.   

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
This is one of those topics that seldom reaches the dinner table despite the fact it affects us all so deeply.  At it’s very core it means turning latent human, physical and energy resources into valuable products and services needed for health and well-being.   The more efficiently this can be accomplished the more effectively desired results can be achieved.   This includes reaching whatever types of sustainability goals that society decides are important.   After all, nothing cures poverty and suffering as much as increased wealth and savings.    

Southern Alberta is rich in so many ways it is difficult to summarize them in one document.   These riches are worthless if they remain untapped.  This includes enabling employment mobility, education,  goods and service delivery, mercantile, entertainment,  and investment.   Accessibility is a critical element in reaching all areas of Southern Alberta in order to develop and enhance the value of all these resources.   This in turn implies an effective regional transportation system that supports economic development.