Green Line LRT renderings released in report on proposed realignment

The report on Calgary’s new Green Line LRT alignment has now been made public and it includes renderings of what some parts of the new transit line could look like.

The AECOM report released Wednesday comes after Calgary city officials called for more transparency in the wake of a public presentation at city hall this week that they said was limited for confidentiality reasons.

The province contracted AECOM in July to come up with an alternative route for the Green Line through downtown. The new proposal has 12 stops running from 7 Avenue SW downtown to Shepard station in the southeast — including an elevated track through downtown.

The newly released report includes three elevated options for the LRT line that would connect it from 7 Avenue SW to 10 Avenue where it would start running east along a continued elevated track.

The three north-south options include elevated tracks along 1 Street SE, 2 Street SW or 6 Street SW.

The report ultimately recommends the option along 2 Street SW that would require the removal of a parkade and a plus-30 ramp.

The release also includes renderings of a Grand Central Station that would be located along 10 Avenue just west of the Elbow River. The station would be a part of the line regardless of which of the three north-south downtown options end up being chosen.

“The proposed Grand Central Station design goal would develop a mobility hub providing users multimodal choice with local and regional connections into the Beltline and downtown areas,” reads the report.

Calgary city council remains at odds with the province, releasing a statement Tuesday evening saying the proposed Green Line alignment does not include costs on financial and legal risks that, according to the city, would take the project over budget.

Furthermore, public presentation on the new proposal at city council Tuesday was limited, as ordered by the province for confidentiality reasons, prompting Mayor Jyoti Gondek to call for more transparency before the release of the full report on Wednesday.

The transportation minister said it was always the provincial government’s intent to share the report with the public.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek has also raised concerns that the province isn’t doing enough to address how the new line would impact businesses along the route.

Calgary city council voted to wind down the $6.2-billion project in September after the province said it would pull its $1.53 billion in funding without a major project overhaul. 

Weeks later, after discussions with council, the province recommitted funding and both sides agreed to a December deadline for decisions on re-alignment.

The full report from AECOM can be found here.