Shane Keating — Councillor Ward 12

To whom it may concern:

Further to #YYCMatters, in my capacity as the Councillor for Ward 12 in the City of Calgary, and together with other elected representatives and community leaders from south-east Calgary and other areas of the City of Calgary, we are writing to advocate for the completion of Calgary’s Green Line Light Rail Transit (Green Line) in its ENTIRETY . COMPLETING THE GREEN LINE IN ITS ENTIRETY IS ESSENTIAL TO CALGARY. We are calling on all leaders and candidates of various provincial parties to make their intentions known to Calgary voters before the election.

Will you advocate for and honour the commitment in legislation by the current government to dedicate approximately $200M annually (starting in 2027) for public transit in Calgary? If the City of Calgary dedicated these funds for ten years, it would result in a $2B fund. If the City of Calgary then leverages this fund with other orders of government; within ten years we could have $4B to 5B. With this new source of funding we could complete the Green Line and extensions to the Red Line and Blue Line Light Rail Transit lines.

From 2013, starting with the Transitway, then transforming to the Green Line (thanks to the federal government at the time dedicating $1.53B in public transit funds), this is one of the most engaged projects in Calgary’s history. The City of Calgary has listened to the results of the engagement by community associations, resident organizations, property owners, and businesses. Additionally, the project criteria for setting stage one was explained many times in public, at committee meetings, and in written reports.

We will acknowledge that the project has changed due to requests from stakeholders and in the best interest of Calgary now and for the future. It is no longer a fully at-grade line but rather, it incorporates tunnels, elevated stations and adjustments to the alignment. However, with all of the engagement and public discussion this should not have been a surprise. Some Calgarians were disappointed with the stage one of this project, but they should not have been surprised.

The facts are plain and simple. Calgarians in the deep south and far north have waited their turn for transit infrastructure for long enough. These residents and businesses cannot wait any longer for the Green Line. It is clear that more support, from all levels of government, are required to complete this vital piece of infrastructure.

New residential developments in the southern communities of Seton, Rangeview, Section 23, Hotchkiss, and Ricardo Ranch, and in the northern communities of Carrington and Livingston are already starting to add pressure to existing transit routes and road infrastructure.

Appended to this letter are some materials that we believe show the clear need for the Green Line to reach both the deep south and far north of Calgary immediately. These materials speak to current social, economic, environmental, and development conditions as well as their future projections. The complete Green Line is needed now. We please ask for a prompt response. Your response will be posted and shared publicly.

Once again, we are calling on all leaders and candidates in this provincial election to make their intentions about the Green Line known to all Calgary voters. Completing the Green Line in its ENTIRETY is critical for Calgary and we need your support.

Sincerely,

Shane Keating
Councillor for Ward 12, City of Calgary

Attachment 1:
Elected Representatives and Organizations that have endorsed this letter

Diane Colley-Urquhart
Councillor for Ward 13, City of Calgary

Druh Farrell
Councillor for Ward 7, City of Calgary

Evan Woolley
Councillor for Ward 8, City of Calgary

Gian-Carlo Carra
Councillor for Ward 9, City of Calgary

Peter Demong
Councillor for Ward 14, City of Calgary

Ray Jones
Councillor for Ward 10, City of Calgary

Jyoti Gondek
Councillor for Ward 3, City of Calgary

Jeff Binks
President of LRT on the Green

Sarah Ferguson
President, McKenzie Towne Community Association

Karen Duffy
President, New Brighton Community Association

Carla Nikli
General Manager, New Brighton Residents Association

Attachment 2:

Attachment 3:

Attachment 4:

Sample of Green Line Reports and Documents

There are currently 173 documents, dating back as far as 2010, available to the public at /Transportation/TI/Pages/Transit-projects/Green-line/document.aspx . These documents include community planning information, Council and Committee reports, general project information, project planning and design, public engagement reports, and station documents. Here is a list of four key documents, plus a break-down of categories for the rest of the documents:

2017 October 10, Green Line – Long Term Vision:160 Ave N to Seton (Part 1 of 12) Pages 1-20
2016 April 19, Green Line North land acquisition frequently asked questions
2015 December 10, Committee Report (TT2015-0881) Part 1
2015 December 10, Committee Report (TT2015-0881) Part 2

The following press release was sent out alongside the above:

PRESS RELEASE – Requesting Support for the Entire Green Line LRT from All Provincial Candidates

Calgary, Alberta – April 11, 2019 – Councillor Shane Keating is requesting that all candidates in the provincial election pledge their support for the completion of the entire Green Line LRT project, from North Pointe to Seton. The letter, endorsed by several Councillors, Community Associations, Residents Associations, and LRT on the Green, asks all candidates to advocate and honour the commitment in legislation by the previous government to dedicate approximately $200 million annually (starting in 2027) for public transit in Calgary.

This funding promise would result in $2 billion in transit funding over 10 years for the City of Calgary. Leveraged with other orders of government, this could result in $4 to $5 billion, which would complete the entire Green Line as well as extensions to the existing Red and Blue lines, alleviating pressures already being placed on existing transit routes and roadways by newer and developing communities.

“This stable, committed source of funding is vital and we will advocate for matching funding from federal government programs that will ensure the entire Green Line, from Seton to North Pointe, is completed shortly after Stage 1 is complete. By 2046, the Green Line will serve 498,000 Calgarians and 263,000 jobs outside of the downtown core.”
– Councillor Shane Keating, Ward 12