LRT debate chugs on

The debate over the western extension of the Calgary LRT continued to chug along Tuesday as a public meeting on the issue resumed at City Hall after exceeding its allotted time last week.

An aldermanic committee was expected to hear further presentations from municipal administrators — particularly on the question of putting more of the route underground —before approving a final plan, budget and route for the eight-kilometre, six-station C-Train extension.

The committee heard more than seven hours of presentations from administrators and the public last week before running out of time, with issues raised ranging from the location of the tracks to the route itself.

The project, and the speed at which it has progressed since receiving a $3-billion infrastructure funding boost from the provincial government, has been widely criticized. Brian Rose, who lives in Sunalta, said he has gone to numerous meetings on the expansion.

"All those experiences haven't left me with the feeling the city is listening," he said.

David Burns of Wildwood was also vocal in his criticism.

"I do not see that this process works well," he told CBC News.

"I do not see the creativity and brilliance in the design that's being put forward, and I do not see a clear direction as to where we're going." 

The original $700-million plan approved by city council in November had the route running along the Bow Trail, 33rd Street and 17th Avenue S.W. and called for a 22-metre elevated track over Crowchild Trail.

Residents of Sunalta and Scarboro protested the plan, citing concerns over noise and the height of the track. In response to those complaints, the city  mapped out a new route in early May, pushing a portion of the tracks northward and moving a section down to street level, where it would run along the median of Bow Trail for several blocks. This plan would cost an additional $20-million and take longer to construct than the original.

At last week's meeting, representatives of the community of Westgate asked that plans be changed to accommodate their concerns as well, calling on the city to put the train and station underground at 17th Avenue and 45th Street, which is also where the headquarters of several emergency services are located. This change would boost the cost of the project by at least $80 million.

The Best West LRT group also put forward a proposal for an alternate route, bypassing Sunalta and Scarboro, using railway land. However, a Canadian Pacific spokesman said the company was not interested in selling its land.

The various proposals from residents and community groups could increase the price tag by millions of dollars.

Any decisions made by the committee must be ratified by the entire city council before the project can proceed. 

It's estimated that 40,000 people will ride trains daily from the west side to downtown when the line opens. Council hopes to begin construction next year, with the route completed in 2012.