Green Line downtown segment back under review

Calgary's Green Line LRT downtown segment is under review after Mayor Jeromy Farkas said Wednesday that the province has had a change of heart on whether the route will be elevated or underground.

The city had been moving ahead with a plan to build an elevated line through downtown when the province indicated it was willing to reconsider alignment options. That shift has prompted advocates to push for bolder thinking about the project's scope.

Jeff Binks with LRT on the Green Foundation said the moment presents an opportunity. The mayor has floated two options: a temporary bus bridge connecting the north and south segments while the downtown portion is designed separately, or using provincial funding to build further south while partnering with the federal government to construct the downtown section.

Binks cautioned that a bus bridge — while faster to implement — wouldn't incentivize ridership the way a rail connection would, and isn't something Calgarians have indicated they'd support. He emphasized the second option is worth serious exploration.

"The mayor also mentioned a second option, and I think it's one that's really worth exploring. That's talking about using the provincial money to build further south, and in doing that, looking just to partner with the federal government to build downtown," Binks said.

Bypass provincial control over the downtown segment could put tunnelling back on the table — something the province had ruled out. Alberta transportation minister Devin Dreeshen said in 2024, after the province took control of the design, that "there can't be a tunnelling option." However, if Calgary and Ottawa fund the downtown piece independently, that constraint may no longer apply.

The timing remains uncertain, with no announced deadlines for the review process.