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Self-driving taxis and buses may be coming to Edmonton sooner than expected and are prompting even die-hard LRT enthusiasts to rethink their position.

“It’s a question I continue to struggle with,” said Coun. Andrew Knack, who’s been lobbying to extend the Valley Line LRT west when the route to Mill Woods is complete.

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One of the first applications for self-driving technology may be dual-mode buses, according to a consultant’s report debated at committee Wednesday, where a bus could be manually driven around a neighbourhood, then follow in fully automated mode behind a lead bus to head downtown.

That would free up drivers and increase service, making bus-rapid transit a more flexible and adaptable option than LRT. It would be a train on wheels.

Other applications would have far more revolutionary implications. Uber is hoping self-driving taxis will push down prices to the point where many people won’t buy their own cars. But that could also decrease ridership for any public transit option.