A recent public engagement report reveals that while a two-thirds majority of Calgarians support an elevated Green Line alignment through downtown, those who live and work along the proposed route remain strongly opposed.
Survey Results Show Majority Support
City administration will present a quarterly update on the Green Line to council's executive committee Tuesday, highlighting progress on the $6.25-billion transit project. The report includes findings from a survey conducted by Stone Olafson, which found that 65 per cent of 1,250 respondents are supportive of an elevated downtown alignment above 10th Avenue S.W. in the Beltline and 2nd Street downtown.
Proponents cited the Green Line's importance as a city-building project and its role in becoming a key part of Calgary's transit network. However, 18 per cent of respondents had a negative impression of the elevated concept, with 26 per cent of downtown residents opposing the overhead track. The survey oversampled downtown residents to ensure their perspectives were captured.
Perceptions of the elevated route are generally positive across Calgary, but downtown residents in particular hold stronger reservations, Stone Olafson stated.
Stakeholder Opposition Stronger
Despite the overall support, one-on-one interviews with businesses and property owners along the proposed route revealed much more steadfast opposition. More than 80 per cent of directly impacted stakeholders were against the aboveground LRT concept. The report indicates that 83 per cent had a negative impression of the baseline elevated alignment.
Key concerns included impacts to downtown vibrancy, property values, safety, noise, shadowing, and long-term city-building goals. Many participants urged reconsideration of an underground tunnel or alternative options. Some even suggested that the downtown segment should be canceled entirely if an underground route was not viable.
While participants expressed support for the Green Line overall, the elevated concept drew strong opposition, with many urging reconsideration of an underground tunnel or alternative options, the report states.
Councillor Looks to Suggest Alternative Alignment
Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt, whose ward encompasses the Beltline, said the findings are not necessarily surprising. He indicated that alternative alignments may be proposed to address stakeholder concerns while maintaining project momentum.
