Calgary Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart says southwest BRT should be 'put on ice'

Coun. DianeColley-Urquharthas withdrawn her support for Calgary's controversialsouthwest rapid transit route project, saying it should be "put on ice."

About 200 people turned out foran information session about the Southwest bus rapid transit (BRT) proposalcalled by the Ward 13 councillor atatWoodcreekCommunity Centre on Wednesday night.

"We want this project put on ice until we get some common sense put back into it and citizens are engaged in a meaningful way," she told the gathering.

Thesouthwest BRTis a 22-kilometre bus route proposed from Woodbine in the city's south to the downtown core.It's designed to take some pressure off of the south leg of the LRT by increasing bus usage. Some of the plan includes dedicated bus lanes to reduce traffic congestion inpeak times.

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The original rough cost estimate of $40 million has grown to a more detailed estimate ranging from $57 million to a whopping $65.6 million.

"It's not just one thing why I'm not supporting this project anymore.It's not just the budget, it's not just conversion ofATCOhigh pressure to low pressure gas lines. It's not just the massive development that's going to take place atGlenmoreLanding, or the Jewish Centre, or the interchange that's going under90th... it's all of those things that we didn't know five years ago when this was approved,"Colley-Urquhartsaid.

"We need to stop, we need to take a deep breath."

City says they weren't notified or invited to meeting

It has spurred heated opposition so heated that Mayor NaheedNenshi cancelledpublic engagement sessions earlier in the year, saying opponents of the plan were physically and verbally threateningcity staff.

Nenshi attributed the actions to people belonging to Ready to Engage, agroup of Calgariansspeaking out against the plan.

Ready to Engagein turn criticized Nenshi andhis administration, saying they wereusing poor citizen behaviour as a "smokescreen" for not addressing the weaknesses in the proposal.

City transportation spokesmanSeanSomers said Thursday that city staffwere neither invited nor welcomed to attend the meeting called by Colley-Urquhart.

Community concerns

GeoffHorne, a member of Ready to Engagegroup, says he wantsColley-Urquhartto commit to delay the project until there's a better rationale for it.

"How are they going to get to this bus? If they are shuttling them in from south of Fish Creek park, why don't they justshuttle them to BRT stations?"

Hornesays he's worried about the influx of people and lack of parking space.

Although many people at the meeting said they support transit as a concept, they believe ridership is currentlytoo low to justify thecost of the BRT.

That concernsJaclyn Mersereau, who lives in Woodlands, and takes transit daily. She says commuters' voices aren't being heard.

"To blanket everyone as wanting a certain way of transportation and of living is not appropriate."

Mersereau says the community is changing, and hopes the city will add services to reflect that.

"Although there aren't current ridership studies, over the next 10 years we will see that demand come into this community and I would like to see the planning done ahead of that so that we are prepared for that and those services are in place."

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