Stony Plain Road Shuttle FAQ

The City of Edmonton has provided us with the following frequently asked questions to help those using the new Stony Plain Road Shuttle service.

• The Stony Plain Road shuttle bus provides service to riders between Unity Square at 116 Street and 104 Avenue and Jasper Place Transit Centre.
• The shuttle runs every 60 minutes, seven days a week and provides consistent and reliable  service for riders during the Valley Line West LRT construction.
• Riders pay regular transit fares and the hours of operation for the service are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where does the shuttle bus on Stony Plain Road go?

The shuttle travels on Stony Plain Road between Jasper Place Transit Centre and Unity Square (116 Street/104 Avenue). Note: Unity Square is the new name of the Oliver Square shopping centre.

How often will the shuttle run? 

The shuttle bus runs every 60 minutes 7 days a week, including statutory holidays.

The first shuttle bus leaves Jasper Place Transit Centre at 6:30 a.m. and the last shuttle bus leaves the transit centre at 7:30 p.m. The first shuttle bus leaves Unity Square at 7 a.m. and the last shuttle bus leaves at 8 p.m.

Before you changed the bus routes, I could go directly to West Edmonton Mall or the downtown core with routes coming more often. How come you’re reducing service?

To accommodate the Valley Line West construction, ETS had removed scheduled bus service from Stony Plain Road between the Jasper Place Transit Centre and Unity Square (116 Street and 104 Avenue). While ETS would like to have provided frequent bus service on this corridor, we anticipate routes would need to be detoured regularly to accommodate construction, which can lead to delays and disruption for riders.

By taking this shuttle, you will be able to connect to frequent bus routes at Jasper Place Transit Centre, 142 Street, 124 Street and at Unity Square (116 Street/104 Avenue) to complete your journey to West Edmonton Mall, University of Alberta or downtown.

The bus looks like a DATS bus. / How come you aren’t using a smaller community bus that can hold more people?

Lanes on Stony Plain Road are anticipated to be too narrow during construction to accommodate a regular bus or a community bus. The smaller shuttle bus was deemed safer because it can more easily maneuver through the construction zone. Throughout the construction period, lanes are expected to shift on Stony Plain Road. This creates unsafe conditions for buses to make tight turns. A decal will be added to the front of the bus to indicate it’s the Stony Plain Road shuttle and DATS markings are removed.

How do I tell the difference between the shuttle bus and a DATS bus?

The shuttle buses will not have any references to DATS. There will be signage in the window indicating it’s a shuttle bus for communities along Stony Plain Road. The shuttle bus will stop at every bus stop on the route, whether or not there is a rider that needs to get on or off the bus.

Do I need to pay a fare to ride the shuttle bus?

All riders will be required to pay regular ETS fares to board the shuttle bus. We encourage riders to use monthly passes, tickets or transfers whenever possible when boarding the shuttle. Riders who pay with tickets or cash will receive a transfer.

If I’m using a mobility-assisted device, or have trouble climbing stairs, can I use the lift on the shuttle bus?

If you require the use of the lift, please let the Operator know. Follow all instructions provided by the Operator to ensure your safety when riding the lift.

Are young children allowed on board? / How come the Operator won’t let my child board the shuttle bus?

Children 5 years of age or younger will not be permitted to board the shuttle bus at this time because the vehicles do not have secure child seating. We are using a DATS bus to launch the service, which does not meet the Alberta Traffic Safety Act standards for transporting young children. This is consistent with DATS policy. We are working with a vendor to retrofit the shuttle buses with appropriate child seating as soon as possible.

Children ages 6-12 are strongly encouraged to travel with a parent or guardian for their safety.

Am I allowed to bring groceries or other items on the shuttle bus?

Any items you bring on the shuttle bus must be able to be secured on your lap for the safety of everyone on board, as well as to ensure there is enough room for other passengers to sit.

Can I bring a bicycle on board?

Bicycles are not permitted on the shuttle bus because there is no place to secure them.

What is the capacity of a shuttle bus?

The maximum capacity of the shuttle bus is 12 passengers. All passengers must be seated and wear the seatbelt. No standing will be permitted for riders’ safety. If there is a passenger in a mobility-assisted device, such as a wheelchair, capacity on the shuttle bus will be reduced.

How do I let the Operator know when I want to get off the shuttle bus?

There are no bell cords or buttons on the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus will stop at all stops along the route even if there are no riders who need to get on or off the bus.

If you’re not sure where your stop is, let the Operator know where you need to get off the bus and they will announce your stop.

After 6 p.m., riders can take advantage of the Stop Request program if they need to get off the shuttle bus between stops. Please remember the shuttle bus is traveling through a construction zone, and the Operator will only be able to honour rider requests when it is safe to do so.

How come the area is not being served by On Demand Transit?

The Stony Plain Shuttle bus provides basic transit service along a fixed route. On Demand Transit does not follow a fixed route or a schedule.

How come you can’t provide real-time information about the shuttle in the trip planners, text and ride and Bus Link? / How come I can’t find schedule information in the trip planners, text and ride and Bus Link?

The shuttle bus is intended to provide basic transit service along this corridor during Valley Line West construction. The shuttle is intended to serve riders who live or work in the area, or are accessing services along the corridor. While the service is open to everyone, due to limited capacity, it is not intended for riders traveling between west Edmonton and downtown, which is why it is not included in trip planners. A schedule and route map can be downloaded from edmonton.ca/RouteBrochures

How come you’re moving/closing the bus stops with short notice?

To accommodate Valley Line West construction, crews will occasionally need to move a bus stop as the construction progresses to different phases.Bus stops will be moved a short distance away while still providing access to transit users needing to access this shuttle.

ETS is working with its partners overseeing construction to ensure riders receive as much advance notice as possible for bus stop moves and closures.

I thought DATS didn’t have enough buses to serve its clients. Why are you taking a DATS bus away from DATS users?

DATS ridership is also lower due to COVID-19, which means there is capacity to use a DATS bus for this service.

How come there is not a lot of information available on the website about the shuttle bus?

The shuttle bus is intended to provide basic transit service along this corridor during Valley Line West construction. It is not intended to be a regular bus route. To help manage the number of riders on the shuttle bus, communication is being focused with affected communities only. Information, such as the schedule and map will be available on edmonton.ca/RouteBrochures. Because the shuttle bus is not a regular bus route, some of the information riders are accustomed to seeing on the website and in trip planners will not be available. Riders who are looking to use the shuttle to travel to/from west Edmonton to/from downtown are encouraged to use regular bus routes on 102 Avenue or 107 Avenue.

How will I know where the bus stops are?

Who will clear the snow from the bus stops?

We are committed to working with our partners to ensure bus stops are cleared of snow where Valley Line construction is taking place. We ask for everyone’s patience as clearing snow in a construction zone can be challenging.