Green Line might be off the tracks but city's northern BRT plan rolls on

Even as the debate about the future of the Green Line LRT continues, work will forge ahead on a related part of that transit project.

Each month as the Green Line board received a financial update, it heard the latest numbers on what's called the north central bus rapid transit (BRT) project.

The Green Line is to eventually span the city from its northern to southeastern edges.

While the full build-out has always been planned to be decades in the future, the city has been working on improving the ride for bus users who frequent the busy Centre Street corridor.

BRT improvements have been ongoing with the goal of eventually launching a MAX BRT service along the route.

The city's leader of transit systems, Danny Panday, said the project is proceeding despite the uncertainty surrounding the Green Line.

The current focus of work is on the section from 28th Avenue North to Beddington Trail.

He said new heated bus shelters that are already a familiar sight on other BRT routes are being installed. Turn bays are being added and traffic lights are being adjusted with the goal of helping buses to speed along the heavily travelled route.

In addition to the $50 million currently in the Green Line budget for the BRT upgrades, Panday said council has already approved an additional $60 million to continue the program in 2025 and 2026.

New stations and traffic light changes are planned for next year in the section between 96th Avenue and Country Hills Boulevard.

However, it's still too early to say when the entire upgraded BRT route, which will eventually stretch from downtown to 160th Avenue North, will be ready.

"The big challenges, I would say, is just being able to have all the funding in place, one. And then the second part is you know, being very thoughtful about the impacts on citizens as we go through," Panday said.

He suggested that given its importance as an existing transit route, they have to ensure any delays to transit travel times are minimized while construction is ongoing.

"As we get funds, we build stuff out. And as we see more opportunities for various levels of government providing funding, we go after those," Panday said.  

"Unfortunately, it's a very challenging spot to be in."

Preliminary estimates suggest upgrading the entire route could cost up to $500 million.

Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian said she's glad the BRT upgrading is continuing even as the debate about the Green Line's future swirls.

"Of course, I would love to have a train in this area and will keep pushing for that. But I think in the meantime, these improvements are really important to residents," Mian said.

She said 30,000 people a day ride buses along the Centre Street corridor, so improving travel times and amenities along the way helps attract and retain transit users on the route.

"I want those riders to have a great experience so I'm happy to see some of these improvements include things like the installation of canopies and lighting, heating at these improved stations, things like queue jumps [at intersections] and dedicated lanes for transit, which make the riding experience better," Mian said.

For the city, she said it's a balancing act as the population at the northern end of the corridor continues to grow.

Mian said she hears residents want these transit improvements but they also really want to see the Green Line reach the north.

"They want to ensure that every dollar that we put into the BRT is also a good investment for the long-term potential LRT."