Gondek expresses doubt about downtown segment of Green Line LRT plan as province signals full steam ahead

Joey Chini · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 9:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says the state is jumping the weapon in claiming the downtown conception of the Green Line LRT task volition determination up based connected the caller alignment. 

It's the latest jab successful an ongoing war of words betwixt the metropolis and the provincial government over the aboriginal of Calgary's large transit expansion.

"The province, without consulting with their national oregon municipal partners, issued a quality merchandise that suggested we are moving afloat steam up with their downtown alignment, adjacent though important risks and unanswered questions remain," Gondek told reporters connected Wednesday. 

In a connection released Tuesday, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen said due to the fact that the national authorities has re-approved its backing for the project, construction connected the elevated alignment downtown tin commencement successful 2027.

"This enactment volition beryllium based connected the Government of Alberta's program and alignment, utilizing 10th Avenue S.W. and Second Street S.W. The plan is expected to beryllium completed by 2026, starring to operation connected the downtown conception opening successful 2027," Dreeshen said.

Gondek says there's nary warrant operation volition commencement successful that clip frame, and expressed uncertainty that the plan signifier would beryllium finished by 2026.

She said the AECOM study commissioned by the province clearly acknowledges that the plan lacks the indispensable investigation to determination forward.

"I person nary thought however they suggest to get this done by 2026. This is simply a process that volition impact stakeholder engagement," the politician said, adding businesses successful the country that volition beryllium impacted by the projected alignment person not yet had immoderate conversations with the province.

Asked astir the mayor's concerns, Dreeshen said successful an interrogation with CBC connected Wednesday that much stakeholder engagement and consultation needs to beryllium done earlier the downtown conception of the Green Line moves forward.

According to the city's website, the functional program for the downtown conception is expected to beryllium completed successful 2026. The functional program includes but is not constricted to advancing plan enactment connected the downtown conception of the project.

Gondek says there's nary accusation yet connected however an elevated LRT enactment volition impact businesses and gathering owners successful the area, or if it's adjacent technically feasible. The politician added there's besides no agreement yet with CPKC for the indispensable rights to physique the CTrain enactment done the company's obstruction close of way.

Gondek spoke to reporters Wednesday extracurricular of Michael's Restaurant and Pizza on 10th Avenue S.W., 1 of the streets that could 1 time beryllium successful the shadows of elevated CTrain track.

One of the owners of that pizzeria, John Batas, said no 1 has consulted him astir the thought to physique the LRT there.

"It's conscionable shocking. Like yesterday's [provincial release] saying it sounds similar it's a done deal, that was different benignant of gut punch we've received," Batas said. "When we archetypal heard astir it, I had nary thought until a newsman came and asked maine what I thought of it."

He added he's acrophobic astir the accessibility of his concern if the LRT is built there.

"This is simply a beauteous engaged street, the lone two-way thoroughfare in the downtown core. And if you instrumentality distant this and enactment an LRT platform, entree is going to beryllium terrible," Batas said.

"We've tried reaching retired to the province. We sent them emails arsenic soon arsenic we heard astir this. Come and speech to us, conscionable with us, perceive our concerns. No one's consenting to bash anything."

The metropolis is doing a functional survey connected the elevated line, which Gondek says volition take 18 to 24 months to implicit and past assembly volition ballot connected whether to proceed.