CALGARY -- A trio of councillors say the escalating costs of the proposed Green Line LRT have grown out of hand and are calling for a condensed version that stops the northern section of the project in its yet-to-be constructed tracks.
On Tuesday, councillors Jeff Davison, Ward Sutherland and Diane Colley-Urquhart renewed their call for a "lower-risk, higher-value option for the Green Line" after council learned that the project's $4.9-billion estimated capital cost for the initial phase did not include nearly $640 million in accumulated interest on debt.
The three councillors, who represent wards outside of the original proposed 46-kilometre path of the project stretching from north-central to southeast, say Calgary would be better served by a southeast-specific line and enhanced bus rapid transit (BRT) service in north Calgary.
"Southeast Calgary needs servicing now and we’re ready to go so let’s do that," Davison told CTV News. "Getting into the downtown core and all that can all be figured out. The question is, 'How do we get north?' and building a costly bridge at this time probably isn’t the best way we want to build our transit network forward in the future."
Davison says the world is actually moving away from fixed rail transit and he believes they need a plan that will stand for the next few decades.
"Calgary taxpayers can’t afford the current risky alignment. Our proposal reduces financial risk while improving service by connecting the communities of southeast Calgary with downtown. It improves service for north Calgary by enhancing the already successful BRT service and examining innovative ways to improve transit."
"We have an opportunity to build a cost-effective Southeast LRT line that protects taxpayers, contributes to Calgary’s economic recovery and actually improves service. Let’s do the right thing for Calgary’s future."
Colley-Urquhart says the final cost of the project will far exceed the initial $4.9-billion estimate should the city approve plans to construct the remaining 26 km while Sutherland says it would be reckless to move ahead with the current alignment at a time when Calgary families and businesses are suffering.
The initial segment of the project is slated to stretch from near the intersection of 16 Avenue and Centre Street North to Shepard in the southeast.
Ward 12 councillor Shane Keating is the chair of council’s Green Line committee and says if his colleagues on council weren’t aware of the cost of the project, they simply haven’t been paying attention.
He says there have been plans since at least 2017 to use millions of dollars in tax room retained in 2018 and future years to fund things like interest and borrowing costs over a 27-year period.
He adds that he whole heartily believes the current planned going forward to council is the best way forward for the Green Line because it gives the city the opportunity to continue to build on the major infrastructure project.
Michelle Rempel Garner, MP for Calgary Nose Hill, is among those frustrated with the Green Line delays. She says any plan that cuts out the north is unacceptable given north-central Calgary has one of the highest ridership of existing transit but remains underserviced. She says federal funds were allocated to the project years ago and council needs to be held accountable for the delays, increased costs and decreased scope of the project.
"It’s been six years and I mean, this has been all over the map. The city council went from a bridge to no bridge, to gold plated downtown stations to no gold plated…I can’t keep up. All I know is the people in my community were promised this infrastructure years ago and it is squarely at the feet of city council and their failure to manage this at this point of time."
The three councillors say they plan to raise the issue in council on June 15.
