$270M paves way for city transit projects

Calgary's C-Train system is getting a $270-million injection from the municipal, provincial and federal governments to improve travel times and build four-car platforms.

The money, announced Tuesday at the Stampede LRT station, will go towards nine projects on the city's light rail transit. Finishing track work and improving platforms and sidewalks along Seventh Avenue is the costliest item, at $80 million.

Passengers tired of late or unreliable buses and trains will welcome the $10 million allotted to building priority signals and transit lanes to improve travel times. An additional $17 million will go toward newinformation systems that will provide real-time arrival, transfer and boarding time alerts.

A total of $7 million is also being invested in an electronic fare payment system, such as smart cards, to give customers more flexible payment options, said a news release.

Other projects include:

• Creating four-car platforms ($60 million):stationswill be lengthened to accommodate four-car trains along the south and northwest LRT.
• Building new west LRT station ($30 million): moving the most westerly station from 10th Street to 11th Street for the new line.
• Improvingpower connections($30 million): upgrading electrical substations andoverhead wiring.
• Introducing bus rapid transit service ($30 million): new bus zones, larger bus shelters and two park-and-ride lots with a total of 1,000 stalls in the southeast communities of Douglas Glen, McKenzie Towne and McKenzie Lake.
• Upgrading LRT closed-circuit cameras ($6 million).

Work on all of the projects, except the LRT station for the new west leg, will likely begin later this year. Construction of the new line is not expected to start until 2010.

Cost divided equally among governments

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier, Alberta Justice Minister Alison Redford and federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice were all on hand for the announcement.

"Investments in public transit will not only create jobs and stimulate the economy, but will also leave the lasting links that will pave the way for Calgary's growth and prosperity in the future," said Prentice, who is the MP for Calgary Centre-North.

The federal government is contributing up to one-third of total eligible costs, to a maximum federal contribution of $90 million, as part of an infrastructure stimulus package.The province is chipping in $90 million and the balance will be covered by the City of Calgary.

Last month, the City of Edmonton, the province and the federal government announced $300 million worth of transit projects for that city.