That same year, the High Level Bridge was completed, and provided an additional connection for streetcars between Edmonton and Strathcona prior to its opening, the Low Level Bridge was the only river crossing with streetcar infrastructure. The original streetcar barn was replaced with a new barn in 1913, which would be in use until the system ceased operations in 1951. The ERR served more than 10 million passengers in 1912, and Edmonton purchased 47 new streetcars. Motormen, conductors, and other streetcar workers unionized in 1911, under the banner of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America Local Division No. By 1911, daily ridership increased to around 4784 passengers. The service quickly grew in popularity as a mode of transportation, and it became known as "the pride of Edmonton". On its first day of operations, the ERR served approximately 3000 riders. ![]() Streetcar tracks under construction, Jasper Avenue and 109 Street, 1913 Regular service commenced on November 9, 1908, with a fleet of four streetcars operating on 21 kilometres (13 mi) of track. for $135,000, thus gaining the ability to provide streetcar service to the City of Strathcona as well. Shortly prior to the start of service, Edmonton purchased the Strathcona Radial Tramway Company Ltd. The ERR's name stemmed from its radial, or "out-and-back", model all streetcar lines terminated at Jasper Avenue and 101 Street, and radiated outward to various areas of the city. The Alberta Legislature passed the Edmonton Radial Tramway Act in 1908, permitting the city to provide tramway service to communities located within 80 miles (130 km) of the city. Construction of the initial trackway and related infrastructure commenced soon after. The concept remained stagnant for the next decade, and Edmonton city council approved the borrowing of $224,000 for the creation of a streetcar system in 1907. In 1893, an ordinance permitting Edmonton to construct and operate a tramway was passed. Until Edmonton's Light Rail Transit service opened in 1978, all transit routes were delivered by buses. The last day of public streetcar service was September 1, 1951. Starting in 1932, streetcar lines were phased out in favour of trolley and gas bus routes, and by August 1949 only one core line was left. The service suffered from under-investment during the Great Depression, as the city could not afford to replace old streetcars, tracks, or other infrastructure. At its peak in 1929, the ERR served more than 14.1 million passengers. ![]() ![]() Beginning as a small agency with 21 kilometres (13 mi) of track and four streetcars, the ERR would eventually operate more than 70 streetcars on over 90 kilometres (56 mi) of track, reaching most areas of the city. It was Edmonton's first public transit service, and later evolved into Edmonton Transit Service. The Edmonton Radial Railway (ERR) (also known as the Street Railway Department) was a streetcar service that operated in Edmonton, Alberta, from 1908 to 1951.
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