Alberta opening its wallet for public transportation
Posted Apr 26, 2010 7:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary Transit could be in line for a big chunk of cash.
The province is ready to hand over the $2-billion Green TRIP fund to Alberta cities.
It was announced two years ago to try and get us out of our cars and onto public transit, but thanks to the recession it had to be put on hold.
The Tory government is now prepared to let the cash flow, and it could come within the next six weeks.
Some on city council are hoping Calgary gets the largest portion of the funding.
“If you go population-wise, it should probably be a third. That’s what would be fair and I think it could get us started on the next LRT line,” Alderman Ric McIver tells 660News.
That would amount to just under $700-million. McIver says that’s just enough to kickstart the first phase of the southeast LRT line. If the province helps out with the cash, he believes work can begin sooner rather than later.
But there are other major projects on city council’s wish list.
“There’s increased interest on a regional basis for connecting Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks and High River to Calgary on a regional system to get some of the traffic off the main highways,” Alderman Gord Lowe tells 660News.
Since the criteria of what qualifies for funding hasn’t been hacked out yet, Alberta Transportation says it’s too early to say what types of projects will be at the top of its priority list.
