The ghosts of the Green Line’s past still haunt the project

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Recently, the ghosts of the Green Line’s past once again rose from the ashes to present their same tired arguments against the project. These “concerned citizens” continue to look for new opportunities to try to scare Calgarians and corporations from building what will be one of the most transformative projects in our city’s history.

Led by a small group of men who were once considered visionary city-builders, an ambitious transit project has mysteriously drained them of their civic charm. Their tactics continue to change but their arguments do not.

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They like to say that building the Green Line will cost too much money, that the line doesn’t go far enough southeast of Calgary, that governance isn’t open or transparent, and that no one uses public transportation after COVID. Let’s take a moment to explore why they are on the wrong path.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was Calgary’s current LRT network. To suggest that Stage 1 of the Green Line must be all things to all people from the start to be considered worthwhile is to ignore Calgary’s own history in building light rail.

When the Red Line LRT first opened in 1981, the track extended from downtown Calgary to Anderson Station. Stage 1 of the Green Line, connecting Eau Claire to Shepard, will accomplish something similar with two key differences. The first is that the Shepard station will be about 10 blocks further south than Anderson. The second is that, unlike Anderson Station in the ’80s, more than 100,000 Calgarians already live within driving or bus distance of Shepard Station, and more people are arriving every day.

In the decades since the LRT opened, Calgary has continued to invest wisely in expanding the network, and the same will be true for the Green Line. The dividends it provides by combating traffic congestion and allowing all citizens to get around our city are invaluable. Yes, investing in transportation costs money, but Calgarians have never had to do it alone.

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Starting in 2026, the Government of Canada will launch a new transit fund with $3 billion a year at stake. In this year’s austerity budget, the provincial government still managed to find $43 million to expand Calgary’s Blue Line LRT. The Green Line will someday stretch 28 miles, from Keystone in the north to Seton in the south. With federal and provincial partners willing to share the financial heavy lifting, Calgary can afford to continue building the Green Line.

One thing Calgarians cannot afford is further delays to this important project. Since city council first approved Green Line plans in 2017, Calgarians have been caught in a merry-go-round of planning and budget debates. Every day of delay increases the cost of the project. The cheapest time to start building was yesterday. The next cheapest time is today.

The tender for the construction of the Green Line is underway and any company that submits a bid will always assess the risk. They do not want to invest in rent and equipment if they feel there is a risk that the project will not be built.

At a recent board meeting, Green Line CEO Darshpreet Bhatti commented that local subcontractors are coming in with much higher quotes than anticipated due to perceived risk. Opponents know this and hope to break the Green Line budget by increasing uncertainty to further inflate bids. Taxpayers should not be allowed to get away with picking our pockets. We need our elected representatives to send a strong message that they are committed to building this project.

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The existence of the Green Line board should also give Calgarians some peace of mind that their money is being properly managed. Opponents have long called for a way to review costs and decision-making that is independent of city hall. With an independent Green Line board packed with megaproject and governance experts, Calgarians have done exactly that.

In the 1980s, a group of concerned citizens made headlines opposing the construction of the Calgary LRT based on cost and ridership projections. Ralph Klein was mayor at the time. He knew that he must continue to advance construction and that a vocal minority must not be allowed to stand in the way of progress.

Today, Calgary has the busiest LRT network in North America. Our final group of concerned citizens remains in the minority, as a recent city council poll reported that 92 per cent of Calgarians support the Green Line. Klein made the right decision then, and building the Green Line is the right decision now.

Calgary City Council needs to channel Klein’s spirit, stand firm, stop debating, avoid wavering and start building.

Jeff Binks is the president of LRT on the Green, a volunteer-driven, non-profit community governed by a board of seven Green Line communities celebrating its 10th anniversary advocating for better transit in Calgary.

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