Pro-Southwest BRT group challenges opposition

There's another voice that's popped up in the wake of the Southwest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan.

This timeit's from a group that supports adding bus rapid transit along 14 Street S.W.

One of the founders, Peter Meadows, says opposition to the project has been vocal and attention grabbing.

• Southwest rapid-transit opponents give Calgary officials another earful
• Anti-southwest BRT meeting draws hundreds

"So the group is called Calgarians for BRT," he said.

The goal is to rally support for the city's plan to add dedicated bus lanes linking the Woodbine community with the city centre.

"It's also part of the city that isn't currently served by a major transit line like an LRT. It's sort of between the current south and west LRT branches but there's a lot of population down here and a lot of people moving to and from the downtown core and these other major destinations."

He says the key stops on the route will connect many people with important destinations.

• Cancelling southwest BRT meetings a 'smokescreen,' says Ready to Engage
• Nenshi 'extraordinarily disappointed' over southwest rapid-transit meetings

"We see it as a very valuable project," Meadows said.

"It's going to serve a lot of Calgarians, it goes to a lot of very important destinations in the southwest like Rockyview hospital and Mount Royal University as well as going downtown and it's a piece of infrastructure that would be very helpful for our city and we want to support it."

• Southwest BRT construction hinges on gas line questions, says Calgary councillor
• Southwest BRT estimate soars while petition against it deemed 'insufficient'

Meadows says the group isn't meant to be at odds with other groups, like Ready to Engage, which has been extremely vocal against theplan.

Many meetings became heated, prompting the mayor to cancel some of the city's public engagement sessions.

Geoff Horne, with Ready to Engage, says he thinks it's important to have all sides represented.

"We welcome anybody who's interested in this project to come forward and say their piece and hopefully with any luck they'll get answers to their questions that we've been asking since November," Horne said.

For or against, the public will have their say at a council meeting on July 20.

• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Tsuut'ina Nation aims to revitalize its language by targeting its children
• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Witness to police takedown 'glad they caught the guy when they did'