Decisions ‘not yet’ made on elevated Green Line alignment as Calgary gathers feedback

The City of Calgary has opened public feedback on how to weave the Green Line LRT on an elevated track through the downtown core, with questions if original plans to tunnel are off the table.

Calgarians are being asked to share feedback through an online survey, as well as virtual and in-person information sessions until March 2, which will help develop a functional study expected to be made public later this year.

The proposed plan calls for an elevated route between the Event Centre/Grand Central Station in Victoria Park along 10 Avenue S in the Beltline, turning north above the CPKC Rail tracks to 2 Street S.W. and stopping above 7 Avenue S.W., where the Red and Blue lines travel at-grade through the core.

According to the city, the functional study will advance the design, validate the cost estimates, understand potential impacts to existing infrastructure and ensure the project is “broadly supported by Calgarians prior to starting construction.”

However, the elevated alignment has drawn significant criticism from residents and businesses along the proposed route with concerns over safety, and potential impacts to the public realm, traffic and mobility.

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“We’ve been through a lot, but this is like another punch in the gut,” said John Batas, who owns Michael’s Restaurant along the proposed alignment.

“I think walking traffic will be almost non-existent, it’s going to be harder to get here, and then having to deal with who knows what around.”

The plan to run the Green Line on an elevated track was development by an engineering firm commissioned by the provincial government in 2024.

Original plans had the Green Line tunnelling under the downtown core, but those were scrapped after the province pulled its $1.5 billion share of funding after significant cost escalations with the route.

The previous city council ultimately approved the revised alignment for the project in early 2025, which allowed construction to begin on the southeast leg of the line from Shepard to Victoria Park.

However, the city said a final decision has “not yet” been made on whether the line will be elevated or underground, and the functional study will help inform its recommendations to council.

“There are some very legitimate concerns that I’m anticipating to hear through the consultation process that I’m sure are going to be daylighted,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told reporters Tuesday.

“I can’t speak for the provincial government but I’m sure they’ll be looking in good faith at these considerations if there may be future adjustments or changes that are required down the road.”

Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said it’s important that residents have a voice in shaping the project but defended the elevated route.

“The elevated alignment avoids billions of dollars in tunnelling costs, allowing the project to reach more neighbourhoods, deliver five more stations, and boosts commuter ridership by 60 per cent,” Dreeshen said in a statement.

“Our focus is on a transit system that’s practical, affordable, and built to serve Calgary for decades to come.”

Although the provincial government said the elevated option would save on costs, Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson said he wants to discuss potential options for tunnelling in comparison with the elevated route.

“I think we have to be looking at what does tunnelling look like when we’re talking about cut and cover, versus tunnelling with a boring machine as we’re doing with the new water pipe right now,” he told reporters. “Those are very different ways of going about tunnelling that have different outcomes and different costs associated with it.”

Despite that, experts said it’s unlikely the provincial government would reconsider the elevated route.

David Cooper, principal at Leading Mobility, said the situation is the first time there’s been provincial involvement in the design and delivery of a transit project in Alberta — a more common practice in provinces like Ontario.

“If your three funders don’t agree on how to build a project, the project is not going to happen,” he said. “The province has been very clear it doesn’t want to see a tunnel.  I don’t think a tunnel is going to proceed if one of your key funders doesn’t agree with it.”

Calgary is the majority funding partner in the $6.2-billion megaproject with a 46-per cent share, followed by the Government of Canada at 27 per cent and the provincial government with a 26-per cent share.

The City of Calgary will be holding a virtual information session on Feb. 28, as well as in-person drop-ins at the Memorial Park Library from Feb. 18 to 22.

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