Bold vision needed to bring downtown segment of Calgary’s Green Line LRT to life: advocate
Posted Jun 13, 2026 9:40 am.
Following a decision to re-evaluate possible routes for Calgary’s Green Line LRT through downtown, an advocate says bold action could secure a plan to connect with more Calgarians.
The City of Calgary was moving ahead with a plan to build an elevated line through downtown for the Green Line LRT before Mayor Jeromy Farkas said during council on Wednesday that the province has had a change of heart on whether the downtown segment of the line will be above or below ground.
After a decision to take another look at different alignment options, proponents of the line say it’s a risk that could result in a route connecting even more Calgarians if the mayor takes bold action.
“We’ve gotten the crayons out a few times over the years and started scribbling new ideas and new alignments down, and it kinda feels like we’re at that point again,” said Jeff Binks with LRT on the Green Foundation.
While city hall looks at different ways to get through downtown, Mayor Jeromy Farkas has said there’s a possibility that section is put on the back burner.
“It could be in the short term a bus bridge that goes through the downtown and connects the north and the south by rail,” he explained.
That idea, according to Binks, isn’t the best way to incentivize ridership and isn’t something Calgarians have indicated they’d support. However, Binks says another idea floated by the mayor could be bold enough to build the line further than originally thought possible.
“The mayor also mentioned a second option, and I think it’s one that’s really worth exploring. That’s talking about using the provincial money to build further south, and in doing that, looking just to partner with the federal government to build downtown,” he said.
Bypassing the province for the downtown segment could put tunnelling back on the table — something that had been sworn off.
“There can’t be a tunnelling option,” Alberta transportation minister Devin Dreeshen told CityNews.
This was mandated after the province took control of the design in 2024, after temporarily pulling funding. But after businesses and stakeholders rejected an elevated line, Farkas says he’s willing to wait it out until an agreeable solution is found. However, the province cautions that downtown must be built.
“One of the main conditions to get that approval was to tie into the downtown core, to tie into the red and blue lines. So that has to be a condition, or else it would put funding at risk,” Dreeshen said.
The province said earlier in the week, “a downtown tunnel is not on the table,” but is open to refinements.
The city was on track to finalize the downtown segment by November, but it is now likely to be pushed back. The city says it hopes to have a new timeline available by September.
