Calgary, Alberta – February 26, 2020 –
Last Friday’s Green Line Committee meeting concluded with a decision to further delay the deadline for approving Stage 1 of Calgary’s Green Line LRT by several more weeks. As debate continues to swirl around the city centre segment of the Green Line, concern is growing that too much focus has been shifted away from getting the southern segment of Stage 1 to a shovel-ready status. The southern portion of Green Line Stage 1, known as Segment 1, runs from the Elbow River to Shepard Station and has been sitting in limbo since last fall.
“The reason Stage 1 of the Green Line was split into two segments was to bring it to a shovel-ready status in the south while questions were being resolved about the routing through the city centre,” said Jeff Binks, president of LRT on the Green. “Now that the question on where to cross the Elbow River has been resolved, there is no longer a reason to delay on the southern segment. We know more time is needed to discuss the route in Eau Claire and Crescent Heights but we have faith the City of Calgary can walk and chew gum at the same time. It’s time to start walking.”
Prior to construction beginning on Green Line Stage 1, both segments must proceed through a two-step process that begins with a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) and concludes with a Request For Proposals (RFP) which is followed by the construction contract being awarded. The RFQs for both the Green Line trains (LRVs) and Segment 1 concluded in the fall of 2019. A decision to delay moving towards RFP was made after questions emerged about whether Segment 2’s routing through the city centre would impact how the Green Line would cross the Elbow River into the community of Ramsay. Recently the City of Calgary has publically revealed its proposal for the city centre that showed the Elbow River crossing would remain the same as approved by Council in 2017.
“Construction on the southern segment of the Green Line should begin without delay. Companies have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to bid on this project and thousands of Calgarians are desperate for the opportunity to get to work building this project. We are well past the time to move this portion of Green Line off the drawing board and into reality. The only thing standing in the way of construction is a lack of action. It’s time to green light the southern segment of the Green Line.” concluded Binks.
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