Committee had an opportunity to have an in-depth workshop with Administration, and by the end of the day Administration presented a solidified, updated Stage 1 route option to the Green line Committee. These changes will help address construction risks, cost and customer experience concerns of the project.

One of the most surprising and positive aspects of the route update is the 21 Kilometer BRT enhancement from 16 Ave to Northpointe. This will spark noticeable changes, as enhancements will directly increase customer service quality and comfort for riders, while addressing challenges of congestion and delays by creating better transit priority. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your City Councilor, even if it is just to congratulate them. 

Updates to the Stage 1 alignment include:

• 21 Kilometers of North BRT enhancements
• A surface alignment on Centre Street N and a surface station at 16 avenue N
• A bridge over the Bow River
• A surface station at 2 Ave S.W. in Eau Claire
• 7 Ave underground station
• An underground alignment on 11 Ave in the Beltline, and an underground station at 4 Street S.E.

You can take a look at the full presentation, including what Administration has studied, what has changed, and what to expect at : Here

These changes will allow us to maximize ridership, directly connect people to the core, the Beltline and the Entertainment District. We will be able to facilitate future expansion to the north and south of The City, while the BRT enhancements will improve transit for residents in the north.  The Green Line is Calgary’s largest infrastructure investment to date, and is designed to be both a transit system and a platform for development, one that will shape our city. Providing efficient service and connection to destination throughout the city, and areas where people can live affordably with access to amenities, services and sustainable mobility options.

I want to assure you that we are still committed to the full scope of the Green Line LRT project, and will eventually extend the project from Seton to 160 Ave. Work is continuing to advance the functional planning, land acquisition program, and funding opportunities for stage 2.

So our next step is to engage with the community.  We welcome you to provide us with your feedback, and you can do that by visiting https://engage.calgary.ca/greenline. The online engagement period will be from January 29, 2020 to March 9, 2020. You can help us ensure we are building the highest value transit system for Calgarians. You can also watch for in-person engagement opportunities from March 1 – March 9, 2020

I feel proud to say that we have done our utmost to bring credibility and confidence back to this project. Over the next two months, we will see more of the studies and incredible work that has gone into a project as exceptional as this, especially being rebuilt and put back to where we can make a decision in March. I think it will be the right decision. While some will say that it is unfortunate that the line will not, at the moment reach to Seton; I will continue to fight for Ward 12, but not to the detriment of the rest of the city. We need to look at this project in its entirety, and for what it accomplishes for the future of Calgary. As we move forward, we will remain focused on making this the best possible transit system it can be.

According to the study Calgarians are actually quite well off in comparison to other major urban centres around the world. Here are some of the Calgary stats:

• Calgary drivers spent 15.7 hours in peak hour traffic last year. Calgary ranks 159^th of all cities surveyed for the amount of congestion that driver’s experience.
• Calgary is the 9^th most congested city in Canada behind Montreal, Toronto, St. John’s, Ottawa, Vancouver, Quebec City, Victoria, Edmonton and Hamilton.

View the full scorecard HERE

While this information paints a positive picture on Calgary’s congestion issues, we cannot be complacent on our need to make meaningful investments in our transportation network. A comparative study gives us an idea how we stack up against other cities – it does not suggest we aren’t without problems.

There are a lot of ideas out there on how to tackle congestion issues. Earlier this week I read an interesting article that provided some ideas on how to encourage a more sustainable transportation network: http://driving.ca/auto-news/news/how-it-works-road-congestion-and-design

This article talks about how modern traffic engineering principles can be appropriately applied to address congestion issues. The article states that nearly all experts agree that simply adding new lanes can actually cause more congestion problems. How? It’s called induced demand. Induced demand points to a marked increase in the consumption of a good after supply is increased. If all we do is build roads, all we will likely do is attract more traffic. Adding more capacity on our roadways can be part of a solution, but it cannot be the only action. Adding more lanes to a roadway and expecting congestion to reduce is like buying a larger pair of pants and expecting to lose weight. I’ve tried it – it doesn’t work!

If we really want to see meaningful reductions in congestion we need to establish greater efficiency in our transportation network. This means having robust infrastructure that can stand the test of time, offering diverse transportation options and embracing innovative new approaches to traffic flow management. Calgary is often referred to as an auto-centric city. This characterization is often cited as a negative, but I don’t see it that way. What we need to come to terms with is that providing additional transportation options can enhance the transportation experience for everybody – especially motorists. We must always be mindful that transportation is not about moving trains or buses or vehicles – it’s about moving people. I fundamentally believe that people will choose the path of least resistance to get to where they need to go. That path could be in a vehicle, on a bus, on a bike or even on a train. That diversity of options is critically important.

I talk a lot about the need to improve our public transit infrastructure, but I am also a big proponent of continued investments in our roadways. Let’s look at the current Deerfoot Trail Study as an example. We are looking at some engineering solutions to address some of the pinch points that contribute to some of our congestion issues – that’s great! But that isn’t all we are doing. The study isn’t just about looking for ways to make Deerfoot wider; it’s about finding ways to make Deerfoot better. That means looking into things like real-time digital traffic updates, variable speed limits and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. These are all components that could contribute to ensuring we have a transportation network that is efficient, convenient and safe.

When we think about our congestion issues, we need to look to the future. One of the biggest parts of our future is the Green Line LRT. Green Line LRT offers commuters with a choice. An option like the Green Line could remove significant numbers of vehicles from Deerfoot every day while freeing up road capacity for people still make the decision to drive. That is potential for a significant reduction in congestion without building a single new lane on Deerfoot.

I believe that our existing LRT network has played a big role with how our congestion compares to other major cities. We have one of the highest performing LRT networks in North American and it is certainly the gold standard here in Canada. We designed a network that focused on moving as many as people as possible in a way that was quick, safe and convenient. We made getting the LRT out to where people live a significant priority. The Green Line will double our LRT network and reduce city-wide congestion by 10-15%. That’s a huge win for Calgarians!

Your time is valuable. Time spent stuck in traffic is dead time. It has an economic cost, an environmental cost and it has a cost on your quality of life. As a city we have done a decent job managing our congestion issues, but we still have room to improve. By making strategic investments in our transportation network we can ensure that you get to decide how best to use your time – that’s an idea that I will always support.

The City of Calgary and Alberta Transportation are currently taking forward a comprehensive study to explore what improvements are needed on Deerfoot to better serve motorists.  A study of this scope hasn’t been done in 20 years, and Calgarians are ready for some meaningful solutions.  This isn’t a study solely focused on making Deerfoot bigger, it’s also about making Deerfoot better.  Addressing pinch points at Anderson, Southland and Glenmore is critical, but we also need to identify how to better manage traffic flows and move Calgarians.

More information about the study can be found at Calgary.ca/Deerfoot

There are numerous public engagement opportunities coming in June.  To supplement these sessions, I have partnered with my south Calgary MLA and Council colleagues for a town hall event:

The Deerfoot study team and the Green Line team will be giving presentations, and then we will turn it over to the public for their questions.

Deerfoot really matters, and I hope that many of you can join us for this great engagement opportunity!

Green Line Digs In

On Monday the Green Line team unveiled the early findings from their city centre public engagement.  The City has proposed a number of different options on how the Green Line would connect the southeast leg to the north central leg.

The preferred option is to use a deep tunnel to get through the downtown.  While this does come at a higher upfront cost ($500M more than any other option), it will have the least impact on existing infrastructure.

While the tunnel option could lead to savings down the road, it may have an impact on the length of the project in the initial construction phase.  With a set budget, the most expensive option through the downtown means that we may not be able to build out fully to the terminus points in the north and southeast.  Currently Council direction requires that the Green Line LRT include access to the downtown and the maintenance facility.  The maintenance facility will be located at Shepard Station by 130^th Avenue SE.

More information will be coming to Council over the next few months.

Property Tax Increase   

The Government of Alberta released their budget on April 14.  Over the last week The City has been working diligently to identify what impacts this budget will have on local governments.  One item that has been identified is a sizable property tax increase by the provincial government.

Your property tax bill is broken into two components.  Roughly 60% of your bill goes to The City while roughly 40% goes to the province.  The City collects property taxes on behalf of the province, and the province sends in a requisition once their budget is confirmed.

For the 2016 tax year, Calgarians saw a 3.5% increase from The City on their property taxes.  The City typically estimates that the province will have a matching increase, and more often than not this holds true.  This year the province has taken roughly a 10% increase, nearly three-times what we had anticipated.   The 10% increase from the province and the 3.5% increase from The City translates into roughly a 6% increase on your tax bill.

The province has decided to increase the cost of education to be paid for by the property tax.  For 2016/17 the province indicated they will collect about $2.414B in education property taxes which is roughly an increase of $153M from 2015/16 (a 6.8% increase).

Unfortunately we had very little notice that the province was considering an increase of this size.  The province can ask for an increase on their property tax portion, and The City is unable to refuse them.  Premier Notley has suggested the increase on Calgarians taxes is not an increase in the rate, but rather an increase in the assessed value of Calgary homes.  Having looked at the impacts on Calgary home values during these difficult economic times, I’m not sure I agree with that explanation.

Council will be making a decision in June on what to do with a surplus that was identified in the 2015 City of Calgary operating budget.  Returning the surplus to tax payers certainly is an option, especially in the face of a hefty increase from the provincial government.

Committee Sets a Record

I currently serve as the chair for the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit.  On Wednesday we set a new record for the longest committee meeting.  We kicked things off at 9:30am and didn’t hit the final gavel until nearly midnight.

There were a number of high profile items on the agenda:

Pedestrian Strategy – This transportation plans outlines some recommendations that could make Calgary’s streets safer for pedestrians.  The most notable recommendation is lowering the un-posted speed limit in residential streets from 50km/h to 40km/h.  The committee directed administration to carry out extensive public consultation to see if there is a public appetite for this kind of change.

BRT Update – Calgary Transit’s 30 year capital plan, RouteAhead, shows the top transit infrastructure priorities for Calgary.  You can read more about RouteAhead here: https://www.calgarytransit.com/plans-projects/plans.

An integral part of that plan is the Calgary Bus Rapid Transit (or BRT) network.  Some BRTs already exist in Calgary, like the 302 that serves southeast Calgary.  This plan outlines opportunities for additional BRT service, and in some cases constructs independent transit-only lanes to allow for faster and more reliable transit service.

The SW BRT has emerged as one of the highest profile projects in the BRT network.  Groups of residents in support and opposition of the project have expressed their views very vocally.  Individuals from these groups spoke before committee on Wednesday.  There were a lot of very valid points and questions raised.  Administration has recorded the questions asked at committee and will be providing a response by no later than July.

What’s Next for Calgary NEXT?

On August 18, 2015, Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) revealed a proposed concept for a new arena project.  The proposal was a hybrid of public and private dollars to build a state of the art facility in an area to the west of downtown known as the West Village.

In November of 2015 Council requested The City explore the feasibility of the West Village site.  CSEC initially estimated that the facility would cost roughly $890M.  While I do feel this figure is an accurate estimate, it does not take into consideration many of the ancillary costs that would be associated with making this site feasible.  Some of these additional costs include transportation network upgrades and environmental remediation of the long standing creosote contamination.

On Monday Council will be presented with a report from The City that outlines the feasibility of the West Village.  The early figures suggest that the total cost of the facility and associated costs could be as high as $1.8B with as much as two-thirds being paid for by public dollars.  The recommendation in this report suggests that the West Village site is not feasible.

I am looking forward to a robust discussion by Council on this report on Council.  If we are going to be dedicating public dollars to major projects, we need to make sure we are selecting the right projects.  Public funds need to used for public benefit, and it could be argued that this new facility only has marginal public benefit.

The creosote contamination is something that Council will need to discuss in further detail.  It is not in the best interests of this great city to have a large section of our inner city core undeveloped on blighted land.  East Village is a great example of how we can transform blighted land into a thriving inner city redevelopment.  West Village could be the same, but we need to address the current conditions.

You can find out more about Calgary NEXT and see a copy of the report by visiting: /General/Pages/CalgaryNEXT.aspx

It has been well documented that low oil prices have had a devastating impact on government revenues.  Unfortunately the demand for government investment in municipalities has not gone down, which has left the provincial government in a very difficult position.

Here are some of the highlights of the budget from a City of Calgary perspective:

• Forecasted revenues of $41.6B and expenses of $51.1B;
• Assumes $42/barrel oil in 2016, $54/barrel oil in 2017 and $64/barrel oil in 2018;
• Big investments in affordable and social housing.  $892M will be dedicated over 5 years;
• Confirms funding for the SW ring road.  Construction is on track to begin in September 2016;
• Revenues from the carbon levy (starting January 1, 2017) will be reinvested in green infrastructure such as transit.  This could be good news for the Green Line;
• Transit initiatives saw a reduction from $330M down to $305M.  This should not impact future projects.
• The carbon levy will be costly on City of Calgary fleet vehicles.  Fuel costs are estimated to increase by $2.6M in 2017 and $4M in 2018.  This could have a big impact on Calgarians;
• $4.1B allocated over 5 years for Climate Change, Environmental Protection and Sustainability.  Of this:
  • $2.2B over 5 years in the Climate Leadership Plan;
  • $692M over 5 years for 2013 flood recovery and mitigation;
  • $195M over 5 years for municipal water and wastewater;
  • $112M over 5 years for provincial water management infrastructure like dams .

Many Calgarians asked me if I was shocked that Green Line funding was not specifically referenced in this budget.  Frankly, I’m not surprised, nor am I dismayed.  The provincial government has struck a sub-committee to work with The City to sort out how we can make a provincial funding commitment happen.  This is a welcomed step forward.  I am confident that funding will be sorted out by the end of the year and we will have some promising news to share with the public.

Yesterday CBC Calgary was kind enough to invite me to speak on my thoughts about what this budget means for the Green Line.  Some of you may have seen me on their coverage between the NHL playoff games last night.  For those of you who were not able to tune in, you can find CBC Calgary’s full budget coverage here:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2686944976

My segment begins at roughly 21:40.

I would like to see the provincial government come forward and state publicly that they do intend to support the Green Line.  We do not require a cheque immediately, but the public would benefit greatly to hear that they intend to give The City the support we need to move this project forward.

If you are worried about the future of the Green Line because of this budget, don’t be.  There is a lot of work to be done, and I remain confident that this is a matter of “when” and not “if” the province will step forward as a partner.

Last week Mayor Nenshi sent the official letter to the Transportation Minister requesting funding for the Green Line LRT.

Difficult Times in Alberta

Completion of the Green Line will require a funding commitment from the Provincial Government.  The Members of the Legislative Assembly I have spoken with are certainly supportive of this project, but point out that the current economic situation is providing some road blocks.  With low oil prices anticipated to continue for the foreseeable future, there will be significant impacts on government revenues.

Difficult times bring hardships, but they also bring opportunities.  Right now interest rates are among the lowest we have ever seen, the availability of construction labour is high and the cost of construction materials is low.  Investing in the Green Line today will increase the standard of living for hundreds of thousands of Calgarians.  By investing today when costs and interest rates are low, we have an opportunity to save tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars.   In short, now is a great time to build!

Calgarians have been hit hard over the last year and unemployment rates are on the rise.  It is estimated that the Green Line could create upwards of 23,000 construction jobs.  The sooner this project begins to move forward, the faster we can put these folks back to work.

Together We Can Find a Way

In my view there are 4 different funding mechanisms for the Provincial Government to consider:

• Carbon Pricing: In the fall 2015 budget the Provincial Government announced a carbon pricing framework. Carbon pricing will take effect in 2017 and is projected to generate $3B in revenues annually by 2018.  The Premier stated that “carbon pricing revenue will be fully reinvested into measures that reduce pollution – including green infrastructure like public transit”.  The Premier’s comments bode well for the Green Line.
• GreenTRIP funding: GreenTRIP funding has been very successful for small or medium sized projects.  In order to satisfy the funding commitment for a project like the Green Line LRT, GreenTRIP would need greater funding.  GreenTRIP could eventually evolve into the Provincial equivalent of the Public Transit Fund that the Federal Government created in the spring of 2015.
• $4.4B for future infrastructure: The fall 2015 budget set aside $4.4B for future infrastructure investment.  Calgary represents roughly one-third of the Province’s population, and one-third of this fund would satisfy the Provincial Government’s contribution to the Green Line.
• Sharing property tax increases: The City of Calgary collects property taxes on behalf of the Provincial Government.  Typically the Province takes the same % increase that the City takes.  The Provincial Government could dedicate a portion of their annual property tax increases to fund the Green Line.  This would leave existing budgets untouched and would essentially be a Calgary made funding solution for a Calgary-centric project.

I’d like to see the Province make a commitment to the Green Line in the spring 2016 budget.  The City of Calgary does not need a cheque for $1.53B tomorrow (although we would welcome it).  What we do need is clarity from the Province.  The Federal Government committed to funding this project once they received an application from the City of Calgary that fit the criteria established.  The Provincial Government could essentially do the same thing.

The Provincial Government has an opportunity to make an investment that will transform Calgary for decades to come.  I sincerely hope they make the most of this opportunity.

This budget has a number of highlights for the City of Calgary:

• $830M will be dedicated to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre over 5 years
• $2.96B will be dedicated to Calgary and Edmonton ring roads over 5 years
• $43M to the Calgary Board of Education and $21M to the Calgary Separate School Division
• $4.4B of new funding for Alberta infrastructure projects
• $100M of previously dedicated funds for Municipal Sustainability Initiative over 5 years.

For more information on the Provincial budget, please click here.

Cancer Centre

The Provincial Government has made a firm commitment to fund the Calgary Cancer Centre.  This is a huge positive for Calgarians, and I thank the Province for taking the time to properly consult with stakeholders.  Over the summer I received an invitation to discuss plans for the Tom Baker Cancer Centre from Honourable Minister Sarah Hoffman.  I spoke on the merits of considering the South Health Campus for the future facility.  While ultimately the Foothills Campus was selected, I was still very grateful for the opportunity to participate.

Construction for the Calgary Cancer Centre will begin in 2017.  While initially it was planned that this facility could open in 2020, that has now been pushed back to 2023/24 due to a drop in Provincial Government revenues.  When fully operational, this facility will offer world class cancer care for Calgarians and people from across Southern Alberta.

Ring Road

The clock on the completion of the SW leg of the ring road is ticking.  The land transfer agreement with the Tsuu T’ina Nation mandates that the road must be operational by 2022.  The Provincial Government has committed to completing the southwest leg of the ring road by 2022.  Ward 12 has seen the tremendous benefit of the ring road in SE Calgary, and residents in SW Calgary should be very excited.  The completion of this project will be a huge asset to Calgary’s transportation network.

Education

Additional funding to the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Separate School Division means increased resources for our education system.  This funding will allow for 105 new teachers and 78 support staff to be hired in Calgary.  With many new schools being built in Ward 12, additional teachers and staff will be very beneficial.  As a previous educator, I can appreciate the need to invest in more teachers to provide smaller class sizes and better quality education to our children.

Green Line LRT

The Province announced that $4.4B would be dedicated to future infrastructure projects.  It is my belief that Green Line LRT funding would be a leading candidate for this new pot of funding.  With one-third of Alberta’s total population, Calgarians should anticipate that some of that funding will go towards Calgary projects.  It is also worth noting that one-third of this fund would be roughly $1.5B; the dollar figure required for the Provincial contribution to the Green Line LRT is $1.5B.  It will be increasingly important that the City of Calgary position the Green Line LRT at the front of the line for this infrastructure funding.

I was anticipating that Green Line LRT funding would not appear in this budget.  I remain optimistic that the $4.4B set aside for infrastructure projects could be ideal for our Green Line LRT funding needs.  It is my opinion that the Provincial Government must include a funding announcement for the Green Line LRT in the Spring 2016 budget.  There are over 300,000 Calgarians that would immediately benefit from this project that could be operational by 2021.  With construction costs and interest rates low, now is the time to move forward on this project.  It is estimated that the construction phase of the Green Line could create over 23,000 construction jobs.  This does not take into account the additional permanent jobs that would be created to operate our newly expanded LRT network.  If the Provincial Government wants to talk about economic stimulus projects, the Green Line will accomplish exactly that.

Aspects of this budget will be debated by Albertans for months to come.  I can assure Calgarians that I will continue to lobby the Provincial Government to invest in worthwhile infrastructure projects here in Calgary.  The Provincial Government has indicated that they will be releasing an infrastructure sunshine list before the end of the fall legislature session.  I intend to continue my discussions with the Province to ensure that the Green Line LRT is front and centre on that list.

We can talk about rights and responsibilities, we can talk about good or bad government, we can talk about religion, and we can talk about politics.  As Canadians we have the freedom to discuss all of these things.  What we really need to understand is that we have the freedom to choose those who govern this great city, this great province and this great country.  It is this freedom that makes Canada one of the best places in the world to live.  We cannot forget that many around the world are not able to enjoy these same freedoms.

September of 2006 was very emotional for the Keating family.  My nephew, Corporal Shane Keating, gave his life for his country while serving in Afghanistan.  The Canadian forces fought to give the people of Afghanistan the same freedoms that we enjoy here in Canada.  To date over 150 Canadian soldiers have given their lives for this cause.

In 2004 Afghanistan held Presidential elections, the first elections of any kind in Afghanistan since 1992.  After casting a vote, the people of Afghanistan had their fingers dyed blue to avoid having anyone vote twice.  The people of Afghanistan began to take great pride in having their fingers dyed.  This symbol of their involvement in the electoral process became their badge of honour.  For many this was the first time they had ever cast a vote in their entire lives.

Politically 2015 has been a very important year for Albertans.  We had a Provincial election on May 5 and the Federal election is days away.  Canadians are fortunate to have the right to choose.  Elections are an opportunity for us to educate ourselves on who will represent you in City Council, at the Legislature or in Parliament.  Participating in the electoral process is our civic duty, and something that is unfortunately taken for granted too often.

To really be involved in the electoral process it is critical that we do our homework on who is on our ballots and make an informed decision on Election Day. Last week Mayor Nenshi launched the results of the Cities Matter survey.  This survey asked a number of questions that relate to Calgary.  All four major parties responded to this survey.  I encourage you to see the plan that each party has for Calgary here: http://www.citiesmatter.ca/

We are given more opportunities to vote during a campaign than ever before.  Earlier this week advanced polls were open for three days allowing voters to get in early and beat the rush on Election Day.  If you have not yet voted, please double check that you are registered to vote and that your voter information is correct.  You can do that, and find out where to vote by going to http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx.  This has been one of the most compelling elections in recent history, and your participation will go a long way to shape Canada’s future.

It is easy to take our freedoms for granted.  These freedoms were given to us by the fathers of confederation, preserved by the soldiers that fight to protect our way of life and exercised by everyday Canadians who work to make the world a better place.  My nephew gave his life so that people halfway across the world could share the same freedom that we as Canadians enjoy; your contribution to Canada can be as simple as casting a vote.