More dollars coming for LRT

More federal and provincial money is coming to Edmonton to help fund LRT expansion, city councillors were told Tuesday.

Officials have learned the city will likely get most of the $800 million earmarked for the greater Edmonton region from the province's Green Trip fund.

"From the Capital region, we have seen a recommendation to the province that out of the $800 million, that $732 million come to the City of Edmonton associated with LRT projects," the city's chief financial officer, Lorna Rosen, told council's transportation and public works committee.

More details are expected when the province releases its budget on Feb. 24, Rosen said.

At the same meeting, Mayor Stephen Mandel revealed Ottawa is giving the new LRT line to NAIT another $25 million.

The federal government has already committed $75 million to the project. But last week, Edmonton-area MP and Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose told a Chamber of Commerce function that amount was $100 million, Mandel said.

"She spoke about it in public ...  that there was $100 million allocated to the LRT."

The extra money will cover an $30 million increase in the cost of the NAIT route, which is now estimated at $755 million.

Council has been asked to approved the purchase of an additional 10 LRT cars because the introduction of a U-Pass for NAIT students has led to an increase in projected ridership numbers for the new line.

Siemans Canada is already contracted to manufacture the first ten cars for the NAIT line. The city can buy ten more cars under an option to purchase that expires at the end of February.

The NAIT LRT line is scheduled to open in 2014. It will take trains from downtown to Grant McEwan University, Kingsway Mall and NAIT.