Rewind to the moment Edmonton’s light rail story first came to life.

Former City Councillor and University of Alberta professor Gerry Wright believed transit should bring people closer to the city, not simply move them around it. His advocacy began as early as 1972, when he authored The Immediate Answer for Edmonton, calling light rail a “responsible answer” to car dependency.

This video explores where Edmonton’s modern transit vision took root and how today’s Valley Line, with its street-running design and neighbourhood integration, carries forward Wright’s ideas. Wright’s legacy will also live on through the naming of the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility on the Valley Line project.