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The solution to getting the Green Line through Calgary’s downtown core could be stopping short of it altogether, according to Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, who is flirting with the idea of extending the line further south first.
Farkas told reporters Wednesday the move could give officials more time to figure out an alignment through the city’s downtown.
“For me, personally, I’d be looking at perhaps parking some of the more contentious portions of the downtown route, potentially stopping a little bit shorter in the downtown, giving us more time to solve for that portion of the alignment, and taking some of the cost savings and pushing even further south into suburban Calgary,” Farkas told reporters.
It comes as project officials study an elevated alignment proposed by the provincial government as a condition for its $1.5 billion share of funding for the LRT line.
That route would see a track run above 10 Avenue S in the Beltline and turn north over the CPKC Rail tracks to 2 Street S.W., stopping above 7 Avenue S.W.
In response to concerns from businesses and residents in the downtown core over the proposed alignment, city councillors will debate whether to officially explore alternate routes through the core after endorsing a move to do so at a committee meeting Tuesday.
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Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen indicated the province is “open to discussing refinements” to the project’s alignment througb the downtown core, but maintained “a tunnel is not on the table.”
A tunnel under the core was previously planned for the Green Line’s downtown alignment, but the province withdrew its funding as the line only went as far south as Lynwood/Millican with five fewer stops due to cost concerns.
Farkas suggested buses could be used as an alternate to connect Green Line riders from the Event Centre Station to the MAX Green bus line on Centre Street, instead of running a train through the downtown, until the city could partner with the federal government on a tunnel.
“Another option is to potentially build within the current envelope as far south as we can, and perhaps have the city and the feds only partner on the phase two, which could potentially be a downtown underground option,” Farkas said.
Construction on the southeast leg of the $6.2 billion project is already underway with the current terminus set to be built in Shepard.
According to David Cooper, principal at Leading Mobility, building the Green Line further south to Seton is feasible due to a protected right-of-way for the line.
However, Cooper said council will need to make a decision on the downtown leg, which he noted as been “extensively studied.”
“We know an at-grade option isn’t plausible because the trains are too long for the blocks, and we know the province isn’t interested in a tunnel,” he said. “There’s only a finite amount of options available.”
Some on council are concerned this latest twist in the Green Line saga could impact further extensions of the line to the north.
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Yule said residents he represents in north-central Calgary are in a “purgatory of transit,” with no hope of the Green Line reaching their neighbourhoods in their lifetimes.
“Spitballing now when we’ve studied this alignment to death just feels irresponsible,” he told reporters. “We have an alignment, we just need to follow it.”
During an update to city councillors Tuesday, Green Line officials said $244 million has been spent on studying and preparing for a tunnel under the downtown core.
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