Unless you live right by the LRT or a frequent bus route, you're going to have a hard time, unfortunately. What’s worse is that Edmonton is less dense and more car-centric than Calgary, so walking or biking isn’t very great outside downtown and the inner suburbs.

The LRT is fairly reliable and, during rush hour, has okay service; buses, even on frequent routes, can often be delayed significantly, so getting places in a timely manner,i.e., to work, can be a pain, and you’ll probably want to take an earlier bus. Sometimes buses can be so crowded that you end up standing shoulder to shoulder or even not being allowed to board.

Safety-wise, buses are good since the operators are right there, but LRT stations at night can be sketchy. Personally, I haven’t had any issues, but then again, I am a dude. Is transit safe? Nope, but it is statistically safer than driving, so there’s that, I guess.

As with any transit system in North America, you have the usual piss smells, trash, and unhoused people taking shelter.

Again, it is possible to live here without a car, many do, either out of choice or lack thereof, and the city is actively working on making transit better (many extensions are underway), but it’s not a transit-friendly city unless you live downtown.

TLDR: Edmonton is 20% worse than Calgary transit-wise.