Green Line project should be put on hold: Calgary councillor
Posted Jul 4, 2019 2:27 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – One of Calgary’s biggest infrastructure projects might not get the green light for a while.
Ward 8 Councillor Evan Woolley will present a notice of motion later this month to ask for the Green Line LRT project to be put on hold.
“The goal of my notice of motion is to re-apply some accountability and prudent planning to what is the biggest infrastructure project the city has overtaken. We can’t continue passed a point-of-no-return or put shovels in the ground until we know exactly what we’re getting in the downtown.”
Woolley said that council needs to get the downtown plans for the project right following an administrative update last month.
On June 26, council was given an update on stage one of the project and also heard from several business workers in the city who also asked for the project to be paused.
READ MORE: Calgary businessmen want Green Line LRT project stopped in its tracks
Among the concerns brought forward was the budget for the project, which the group said could go over by $2 billion and risks associated with the underground tunnel.
Woolley said worries like this are what prompted him to introduce this motion.
“We have to reassess every single part of this project so that we can ensure that it comes in on time and on budget but also to make sure it meets the vision we laid out which was a train line to take Calgary into the future and not just another engineering project.”
Woolley stresses that he fully supports the project, one he says is badly needed. He’s also heard from other councillors who also want to make sure the project is done right.
RELATED: Calgary businessmen want Green Line LRT project stopped in its tracks
“All of our colleagues appreciate the importance of the north and south routes and how they meet in the downtown. They all appreciate the importance of this project coming in one time, on budget. I’ve had encouraging conversations with many and look forward to this debate at council.”
The notice of motion will go before council on July 22.
