North-central LRT routes through downtown up for debate

City councils transportation committee will debate Wednesday the best way for a future LRT line to snake its way through downtown Calgary.

The Green Line will eventually run from Harvest Hills in north-central Calgarythrough the coreout to the southeast community of Seton.

• 2 possible north-central LRT routes nixed by council committee

There are several options for getting the train fromCentre Street, over or under the Bow River, through the downtown core along Second Street S.W., and past the CP Rail tracks to 10thAvenue.

• Option 1: Cross the river using the Centre Street bridge, thentunnel under the downtown.
• Option 2: Tunnel below Centre Street, cross the river on a new bridge then tunnel under the downtown.
• Option 3: An elevated train line above Plus-15 walkways on Second Street S.W. through downtown, cross the Bow on a new bridge, and enter a tunnel below Centre Street.
• Option 4: An all-tunnel route running four kilometres underground from 10th Avenue south emerging at 24th Avenue north.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he wants to know more about the elevated line, but he concedes a more expensive underground line would likely be best for the city's future growth.

Its the most expensive, but it's not unbelievably more expensive than the other ones. You know, it's a difference of about four or five hundred million, not a billion dollars, which is still a lot of money, he said.

So council will have to grapple with that. Again, we don't have the money today but it's helpful for us to think hard about what we would like to build once we get the money.

The committee doesn't need to pick a preferred option this week, but could narrow the list before calling for a detailed report to come back this fall.

Ward 7 Coun.Druh Farrell says she is not committed to any one optionyet, but she is not keen on the elevated track idea.

"We've got a narrow carriageway in Eau Claire so it would look more like Chicago than Vancouver, and that really harms the street," she said.

"I need more information."

It has already been decided that the Green Line will use low-floor train cars that are boarded at street level.

On mobile? Here's a link to the city document outlining the options for the north-central LRT route through the core.