Calgary city council is pushing for an urgent meeting with the Alberta government to discuss a reworked plan for the Green Line light rail transit project after receiving the proposal with limited time for review. The province's revamped proposal includes cost savings and changes to the original design.
CALGARY — With timelines tightening, Calgary city council is asking for an urgent meeting with the Alberta government to discuss a reworked plan to build a multibillion-dollar light-rail-transit line connecting the city's southeast to downtown. The Alberta government announced its revamped Green Line proposal on Friday, saying it would save more than $1 billion, with the next step a decision from Calgary council on whether to proceed.
The plan includes an elevated track instead of a tunnel downtown and five more stations. A public presentation on the new proposal at city council Tuesday was limited, as ordered by the province for confidentiality reasons. Council was required to go behind closed doors to discuss the full details. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she only learned of the reworked plan at a 7 a.m. meeting with the province on Friday. Some details were released to media less than an hour later. Council didn't receive the detailed proposal until late Friday evening. Gondek said she told Alberta Transport Minister Devin Dreeshen there needed to be another meeting. 'We did indicate at that Friday morning meeting. I remember looking at the clock -- it's 7:38. We've had 38 minutes to digest everything you're telling me. I don't have a report in front of me. You are not going to get a decision from council on Tuesday,' Gondek said. Councillor Sonya Sharp asked if there was a timeline for a meeting. 'Was there a reach-out to the province to have a discussion before yesterday?' she asked. Gondek replied:'We had a request in at the administration level to have a more urgent working group meeting.' Dreeshen’s office did not immediately return a request for comment. Calgary city council voted to wind down the $6.2-billion project in September after the province said it would pull its $1.53-billion in funding without a major project overhaul
GREEN LINE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT CALGARY CITY COUNCIL LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT PROJECT REVISION
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