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A new express bus bridge over Yellowhead Trail and CN Rail lines could cut transit commutes from the north side to downtown in half, say two councillors putting the option officially on the table for the first time.

If LRT isn’t coming for more than a decade, maybe a rapid bus link is the best interim option, they said.

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“It could potentially result in a 13- to 15-minute bus ride from Castle Downs Road to Blatchford Field with an express bus lane,” said Ward 3 Coun. Dave Loken Tuesday, introducing a motion to get that pitch added to the city’s scope of work.

Several stops would add to the travel time and, at Blatchford, transit riders would transfer to the Metro Line LRT. But, said Loken, “what we’re hearing is sometimes it’s taking upwards of an hour for people to get downtown (now), which is not acceptable. We need to cut that in half.”

City of Edmonton officials are already working on a location agreement with CN Rail to establish where each pier could sit. The estimated cost is $100 million to $200 million.