The city has decided to scrap several upcoming information sessions on the Southwest Transitway after a meeting on the project on Tuesday night apparently got a little out of hand.

The Southwest Transitway project will bring a new Bus Rapid Transit service to the southwest and will run from the downtown core to Woodbine and is expected to cost about $40 million.

An open house was held on Tuesday at the Woodcreek Community Association to discuss intersection operations and stations locations with members of the 16 communities that will be affected by the BRT expansion.

Some residents are concerned about density and traffic congestion and question whether the transit line is needed in some of the older neighbourhoods.

The meeting reportedly became quite heated and Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he is disappointed after hearing reports that some residents were yelling, swearing, pushing and shoving.

Nenshi says a city staff member was assaulted at a meeting on the same project back in October.

He says the incidents that occurred on Tuesday are under investigation and that now it’s not possible to get feedback in a traditional way so additional public information sessions on the subject will be cancelled.

“I have personally suggested that all face to face engagement on this particular topic be discontinued, we will have no more open houses. My staff will not be subject to that kind of abuse, my colleagues will not be subject to that kind of abuse," said Nenshi.

A spokesperson for the community group Ready to Engage calls the Mayor’s actions a smokescreen and says he is preventing Calgarians from getting answers.

"This is a chance for Calgarians to express their concerns about this project,  a project that’s never been debated by council. He’s intimidating people by removing the public’s opportunity to get their questions answered, "said Rick Donkers from Ready to Engage.

The mayor says online engagement on the Southwest Transitway will be ramped up and will include a virtual town hall to allow Calgarians to add feedback and ask questions.

Ready to Engage has been circulating a petition and is hoping to get enough signatures to get the city to review the project.

Construction on the transit line is slated to begin in late 2016, for more information click HERE.