Calgary businessmen want Green Line LRT project stopped in its tracks

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – A group of Calgary businessmen is calling for work on the green-line LRT project be halted for economic reasons.

Jim Gray, an independent director for Brookfield Asset Management, said that the project has a risk of being an “economic catastrophe,” and is underfunded by as much as $2 billion.

Gray spoke Wednesday at the Transportation Committee Meeting at city council.

“The only time to critically examine and confirm the economic case for such projects is before they start,” Gray said. “In the case of the green line, the time to examine is now,” Gray said.

However, Grey said that he isn’t against the green line, the city can’t afford to not get it right going in.

He said that what he would like is for the project to take a pause and make sure that all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.

Gray was joined by a few others in the business community, including former Stantec executive Barry Lester, to voice concerns.

Gray told the committee that the city is in economic stress and cannot take on such a project of this level and technical complexity.

Ward 12 Councillor Shane Keating said that he understands the communities concerns, especially when it comes to the 4 km tunnel, but the project cannot be put on hold.

“I don’t mind a pause for the four-kilometer section, because again you have provided a number of risks and a number of ways to proceed,” Keating said.

Those issues brought forward ranged from going over budget, to mother nature not playing nice, and another flood happening during construction.

However, Keating thinks they could still focus on other sections of the project while they get the tunnel section right.

The Federal and Alberta Governments have each committed more than $1.5 billion for the massive public transit line that would stretch 46 kilometres from 16th Avenue north to Seton in the city’s SE.

In a statement, the City of Calgary said that its top priority is to stay within the $4.9 billion budget while keeping true to the vision of having a project that connects communities from the north to the southeast part of the city.

“The Green Line is an important strategic project for The City of Calgary that will help move people across the city to different economic centers like the downtown core and Quarry Park. Stage 1 of the Green Line is an investment in Calgary’s future that will provide more options for Calgarians to move around the city.”

The statement goes on to say that over the past year and a half the city has worked to refine the design of the project, including the tunneled portion.

However, the city will continue to look at how to build the part of the project that goes through the downtown, and Beltline, and try to find ways to shorten the tunnel and bring as much of the track to the surface as possible.

Sixteen kilometers worth of track is ready to move forward on, between 4 Street SE and 126 Avenue SE.

According to the statement getting the project underway will stimulate the economy by bringing more jobs to Calgary.