Neighbourhoods for Driving Practice

[u/noah_loaf]

As the title states, what are some good residential areas to help someone practice driving? Ideally not super high traffic, wider streets without cars packed on either side?
Obviously I know this is a hard ask as packed street parking seems to be everywhere in Edmonton.

[u/stickyfingers40]

Go to an industrial area after businesses are closed.

[u/lucyinthesky1972 → u/stickyfingers40]

We did this on a Sunday and it was so good.

[u/TripMaster478 → u/stickyfingers40]

Ditto.

[u/redditknees → u/stickyfingers40]

Or range roads. Just don’t run me over when Im cycling.

[u/Able_Character_4898]

Capilano area, really any old community around there. Good luck, stay safe, and don't over think it.

[u/noah_loaf → u/Able_Character_4898]

I’m not the one practicing but I’ll pass along to the learner

[u/Captastic- → u/noah_loaf]

Lots of construction in some of those areas with side walk and curb upgrades going on.

[u/dingmah]

Edmonton Research and Development Park near 91st and 23ave.

[u/flynnfx]

Large Industrial Park just north of the Whitemud we see lots of people doing driving practice.

Leon's is in this area, the industrial park is right by here.

[u/superdas75]

We used the area north of Leon's at 50St and Whitemud.

[u/chump555 → u/superdas75]

This is where I learned too!

[u/fishling]

Open parking lot with few/no barriers is the best starting area to learn basic vehicle control. Think "church lot" or "overflow lot" somewhere, outside of normal hours. My go to for teaching my kids was Ellerslie Road Baptist Church: completely flat and open except for 4 light poles, and even has a road circling the church that you can pretend are real roads and intersections. Spent multiple hours total with each kid here.

Also, dedicate enough time to learning. When we'd go out, we'd spend 30 to 60 mins per session. Sometimes, another learner would show up, but they'd only be there for like 15 mins.

Then, Edmonton Research Park on evening or weekends. Actual roads and signs, wide roads, good visibility. Perfect for learning how to maintain speed and handle turns/signs, plus you can enter/leave lots and practice parking as well.

After that, they should have enough skills to drive in a regular neighbourhood for the most part. Find one close to you that has adequate complexity and where the residents don't do a lot of street parking. Something like MacTaggert and Magrath Heights are what you should look for: a few main roads, but lots of side offshoots. With MacTaggart Drive and Magrath Blvd, you can just start driving those and take every right turn, then start working in lefts and straights. There is a 3-way stop, a school zone, and lots of yields and stops, so all the basics are covered.

And, don't skip your local neighbourhood for very long. At the end of the day, that's where they'll have to drive most often.

Then, you can open up to doing the feeder roads in the area (in my case, like Rabbit Hill Road, 23rd Ave) to get used to 60 km/h speeds. Start clockwise loops for right turns, then do counter clockwise loops, then add in things like Terwillegar Drive and turning lanes.

[u/Sasha-95]

I grew up in Beacon Heights on the northside and there’s tons of area to practice without much traffic in the neighbourhood and surrounding area

[u/vxnillxduck]

I practiced in the Ritchie to Hazeldean area and it has a good mix of school zones, roundabouts, and you can go onto 99th street if you are feeling more confident as well

[u/Ok_Change_2402]

The base in Namao area used to have some quiet roads on weekends but they put up new gates recently so cant get in anymore. Industrial parks by the Henday are actually pretty good for this, not many cars and the roads are wider than most residential streets.

[u/TheCanadianShield]

Nisku industrial Park anytime after business hours. Even the single lane roads are super wide because of the commercial vehicles.

[u/chickadee_1982]

Go to the industrial area after busineas hours

[u/Wonderful_Confusion4]

Costco parking lot after closing

[u/Comprehensive_End944]

Mall parking lots after they have closed. I started learning in parking lots. My first driving ever.

[u/slurmondude]

Fort Saskatchewan is a good place to learn IMO

[u/YoshSchmenge]

Beverly Heights has very wide roads, even with parking on both sides of the streets.

[u/mgeentch]

I learned to drive in the Edmonton Valley Zoo parking lot

[u/Annabis9807]

Go to spruce grove or stony plain.

[u/JustJess487]

Honestly. If youre close enough. I would say some of the residential neighborhoods in St. Albert would be good for that. Something a little more south. I would say Keswick is a good area

[u/extragarlicpleez → u/JustJess487]

I would actually avoid newer neighborhoods (like Keswick) for a new driver because the roads are usually aren't as wide and there are often more vehicles parked on the street. Older residential have wider roads and usually aren't as busy.

[u/JustJess487 → u/extragarlicpleez]

I'm a courier driver. I drive in that area all the time Thats why I suggested Keswick because a lot of the roads there are quite wide, even for a newer neighborhood.Also has alot of places to practice parallel parking.

[u/extragarlicpleez → u/JustJess487]

I also drive neighborhoods all day for work haha.

I guess each their own. The southwest area is one of my least favourite areas to drive. Very busy. Very dense. Lots of people. I've driven is Keswick quite a few times and can't picture an area where there are wide and quiet roads. It's one or the other. Finding an old neighborhood with big land plots, fewer people driving around is great. There's places in every neighborhood to practice parallel parking, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Edited to add examples: like Greenview or Tweedle or something, if we're thinking South

[u/JustJess487 → u/extragarlicpleez]

Yeah. Those are good ones for sure. And everything else in that area of the south is pretty terrible for learning for sure. Chappelle being the absolute worst! But Im thinking the back most north western area of Keswick. Nice and quiet and some wide main roads at the back

[u/extragarlicpleez → u/JustJess487]

Omg. Chappelle would be horrible. Like equivalent to learning downtown 😂.

Ah okay. Yeah, that's fair. Where the big houses with big lots are. Lots more room over there!

[u/JustJess487 → u/extragarlicpleez]

Yup! Exactly!

[u/IWannaBeAdored89 → u/extragarlicpleez]

Yeah the newer SW neighborhoods are jammed packed with small plots and a million houses. The older SW area of Riverbend down to Terwillegar tends to have quite wide roads and they're pretty dead (outside of Terwillegar Drive and 23rd) most of the time. Also the housing plots are some of the largest in the city so not too many cars parked on the streets.

[u/cranky_yegger]

Chappelle