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Green Line's future secure, Calgary city council committee to hear Tuesday

Green Line's future secure, Calgary city council committee to hear Tuesday

Calgary Herald14-06-2025
With construction set to begin this summer, Calgary city council's executive committee will receive an update on the Green Line this Tuesday — its first briefing on the multibillion-dollar transit project since the federal government reaffirmed its funding commitment in March.
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A city staff report included in Tuesday's agenda packages outlines that with just under $6.25 billion in committed funding, the Green Line LRT project's future is secured.
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After a months-long feud with the Alberta government last year over how the project should be delivered, council approved — begrudgingly — a revised alignment and business case for the Green Line on Jan. 28.
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The first phase of the project will see the southeast segment of the future LRT line extend 16 kilometres and include 10 stations, from Shepard, just north of 130th Avenue S.E., to the Scotia Place event centre in Victoria Park.
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What happens after that is still undetermined. The province's willingness to co-fund the project hinged on scrapping the city's previous plan for a below-ground tunnel through the downtown.
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The province asserts that eliminating the need to tunnel will save more than $1 billion, allowing the train to extend farther south, increasing ridership.
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The feasibility of that above-ground alignment will be studied for the next two years, including property, traffic and noise impact studies, public engagement and cost estimate validations.
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The city will oversee both delivery of the southeast alignment, including construction of the first 16 kilometres of track, and the planning and design work for the downtown segment.
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Utility relocation underneath 2nd Street S.W., which was paused last fall after the province announced it would not support the city's version of the downtown alignment, will resume this summer. The work will conclude by early 2027, the city said.
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Public consultations on LRT into Cambridge set for coming weeks, no timeline for project yet
Public consultations on LRT into Cambridge set for coming weeks, no timeline for project yet

CBC

time4 days ago

  • CBC

Public consultations on LRT into Cambridge set for coming weeks, no timeline for project yet

The Region of Waterloo continues to plan for Phase 2 of the LRT into Cambridge but actually getting shovels in the ground is still years away. A report to regional councillors Tuesday during the sustainability, infrastructure and development committee meeting noted staff are continuing to work on an initial business case for the project. Doug Spooner is the acting commissioner of transportation services for the region and told councillors there are currently three dates for his team that need to be confirmed. "Procurement, which I've told you [will take] two and a half years, there is breaking ground, the first time we put a shovel in the ground, and there is the first ride on the new system," Spooner said. "At this time, I wouldn't give you an estimate on when we break ground and when we take the first ride. I think that'd be inappropriate at the phase that I'm sitting in where I don't have a confirmed project, I do not have confirmed funding and I don't have a full business case that lays out that cost fully for ourselves or for our potential funders." Councillors heard how there will be public consultation meetings and pop-up sessions in the coming weeks to get feedback from the public on the initial business case, which is needed before the region can go to upper levels of government for funding. The LRT project was first approved in June 2011 to be completed in two phases. Review of a possible route and stations began in 2015 and since then there have been five rounds of public consultation. In June 2019, regional council endorsed a final preferred route and station locations. Then in 2022 and 2023, the project cost estimates were updated and council asked staff to bring forward information on the option of bus rapid transit as part of the initial business case. As it is now, the initial business case has five options: Full LRT service into downtown Cambridge (Galt). Partial LRT service from Fairway Station to Pinebush Station and then an express bus into downtown Cambridge. Partial LRT service from Fairway Station to Delta Station and then an express bus. Partial LRT service from the Preston Station to downtown Cambridge. BRT (bus rapid transit) with dedicated and separated lanes from Fairway Station to downtown Cambridge. WATCH | Cambridge councillor cites 'misinformation' as a reason for LRT opposition: Cambridge councillor cites 'misinformation' as a reason for LRT opposition 6 days ago As the Region of Waterloo finalizes its business case for phase two of the LRT project into Cambridge, residents have been expressing their opinions on whether the project is worth the expense and the trouble. Cambridge Coun. Ross Earnshaw says while most of the responses he's heard are positive, some are resisting the change with concern for the preservation of Cambridge's iconic downtown. 'It felt like freedom' to take LRT, rider says Regional councillors heard from people in the community who would like to see the LRT become a reality, including Barry Green of Cambridge who says he lives with a disability and relies on transit to get to work and buy groceries. "If I took transit to be here for this meeting today, I would have had to leave my house at 6:45 this morning. It would have taken three different bus routes," he said. He said it's a quick drive to his job at Costco, but it takes him an hour on the bus and if the bus is late, he's left in the cold. "It's unpredictable, it's stressful, it puts barriers to make it harder for me to live independently," he said. "I need a train that's reliable, that's frequent and more accessible." Holden Sisak, 12, and his dad Devin Sisak also spoke to council. Holden, who uses a wheelchair and uses a communicator that reads what he writes, said he splits his time with his mom in Kitchener and his dad in Cambridge. He said last week, while in Kitchener, he was able to get on the LRT "to go on an adventure." "No waiting for someone to help me, no calling ahead, no hoping the ramp would work or that there will be room for my wheelchair," he said. "I just rolled onto the platform, waited a minute, and then zoom, I was off. It felt like freedom, like real grown up freedom. The LRT was built in a way that already works for me." Devin Sisak, who also started the advocacy group Barrier-free Cambridge, added: "The LRT doesn't just remove barriers, it doesn't build them in the first place." Faster timeline? It's expected to take two and a half years for the business case to be completed, which was frustrating for Cambridge regional Coun. Pam Wolf. "I really don't understand why we would have to, after we all say yes, everybody says yes for the third or fourth time, that we have to wait two years to have all the Is and Ts crossed and then ask for the money," she said. Cambridge regional Coun. Doug Craig, who is also the former mayor of the city, quipped, "My concern is that I'm running out of time to see this happen." Kitchener Mayor Barry Vrbanovic asked if there was anything the region could do to fast track the project, but Spooner said they need to take their time. "At this stage, I would say no. I think we have to be respectful of our wants to gather input from residents, from the business community and the development community," Spooner said, adding he hopes to bring a recommendation forward to council in November based on the public input. 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First Valley Line West Light Rail Vehicle arrives in Edmonton
First Valley Line West Light Rail Vehicle arrives in Edmonton

CTV News

time06-08-2025

  • CTV News

First Valley Line West Light Rail Vehicle arrives in Edmonton

The Valley Line West's newest Light Rail Vehicle is seen arriving at the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility in southeast Edmonton. (Supplied) With construction on the Valley Line West LRT well underway, the city has welcomed the first Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) that will run on the line when it opens sometime after construction is expected to wrap up in 2028. A news release from the city said the LRV was shipped in two sections from Hyundai Rotem Company's facility in Changwon, South Korea, on a roll-on/roll-off ship designed to carry wheeled vehicles. The ship crossed the Pacific Ocean and arrived at the Port of Tacoma, Wash., on July 20 before being transported by truck to the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility in southeast Edmonton. LRT Edmonton's newest Light Rail Vehicle is seen being loaded onto a roll-on/roll-off ship designed to carry wheeled vehicles in Changwon, South Korea. (Supplied) 'The arrival of the first LRV is more than just a milestone; it's a sign of momentum for the Valley Line West. Watching this train roll into Edmonton is a proud moment for our team and for the city,' said Brian Latte, director of the Valley Line West with the City of Edmonton. 'This LRV is a part of where we're headed as a city. As Edmonton grows towards two million people, Valley Line West will change how we move, how we build, and how we connect with one another.' There are currently 16 LRVs at various stages of manufacturing in South Korea. Hyundai Rotem will be supplying the city with a total of 46 Valley Line West LRVs which will complement the current fleet of 26 LRVs operating on the Valley Line Southeast. The two sets of LRVs are designed to be fully compatible with the 27-kilometre line. 'We're proud to see the first LRV arrive safely in Edmonton. From initial design, to manufacturing and testing in Korea, to final delivery, this vehicle represents years of collaboration and a shared commitment to delivering a high-quality transit vehicle,' said Chiseung Kim, project manager of the Valley Line West with Hyundai Rotem Company. Edmontonians participated in user testing, interacting with a full-scale mock-up of the LRV in 2023 which shaped the final design. The vehicles will undergo testing and commissioning on the Valley Line Southeast tracks at a later time with measures in place to ensure existing passenger service is not impacted.

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