Atchison wants trains out of Saskatoon

The incumbent mayor wants trains out of Saskatoon.
 
Don Atchison said this is the only way a bus rapid transit system would work.

“I will continue to say this on an ongoing basis,” he said.

“Imagine if we didn’t have trains in the city, people wouldn’t have to wait in long lines.”

Atchison said the other day he was sitting at Central Avenue and cars were backed up to College Drive because of a train.

“Without trains, we could have a cyclist corridor, a Light Rail Transit (LRT) into the future, whatever the citizens would like; it’s really not farfetched,” he said.

The city will get $42 million from the federal and provincial government for transit and water projects, that announcement was made in Regina on Friday.

The federal transit infrastructure fund will give $19 million to go towards buying 40 new low-floor buses and new access transit buses. The city will match it for a $37 million investment.

Atchison said in the 1960’s, Mayor Sid Buckwold got CN Rail to move from downtown Saskatoon and he feels under his leadership he can get all tracks out of the city.

“We have to start a report on this and find out the exact cost,” he said.

Atchison said realistically he wouldn’t be able to move them out by his next term.

“We have to start the conversation now, people are frustrated because of the trains.”

#yxe Mayor @AtchisonDon talks about getting @CanadianRail out of @cityofsaskatoon for rapid buses #yxe @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/Z3FvxI6STi

— JT Marshall (@jtmarshallCKOM) September 16, 2016