Calgary seeks to move Green Line responsibility to province

Province to consider request from city

City council voted to ask the province to take over responsibility for the Green Line LRT project.

The city of Calgary is asking the provincial government to take over responsibility for the Green Line light rail transit (LRT) project. Council voted unanimously in favour of sending a letter to the province, asking it to assume financial and management control of the project.

The Green Line is a proposed 46-kilometre LRT line that would run from north to south Calgary. The project is estimated to cost $5.5 billion and is expected to be completed in 2028.

The city has been planning the Green Line for several years, but has been unable to secure the necessary funding from the federal government. The province has also been reluctant to provide funding, arguing that the city should be responsible for its own transit projects.

In its letter to the province, the city argues that the Green Line is a provincial responsibility because it will benefit the entire Calgary metropolitan area. The city also argues that the province has a responsibility to help fund transit projects in Calgary, which is the largest city in Alberta.

The province has not yet responded to the city's request. However, Premier Jason Kenney has said in the past that he is open to discussing funding for the Green Line.

The city's request for provincial funding is a significant development in the Green Line saga. If the province agrees to take over the project, it would provide the city with the financial certainty it needs to move forward with construction.

However, it is also possible that the province will refuse the city's request. In that case, the city would have to find another way to fund the Green Line, or else the project will be delayed or cancelled.