Green Line (Calgary)

The Green Line is a light rail transit (LRT) megaproject planned to run between north-central and southeastern Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When completed, it will be the third line in the CTrain system and will be known as Route 203, connecting with the existing Red Line and the Blue Line in Downtown Calgary. The Green Line will be the first rail line in Calgary to operate low-floor trains and is the largest public works project in the history of Calgary, about three-and-a-half times bigger than the second-largest project.[4]

Green Line
Overview
TypeLight rail
SystemCTrain
StatusPlanned (Approved)[1]
LocaleCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Termini16 Avenue N
Shepard
Stations15 (29 at full build-out)
Daily ridership65,000 (140,000 at full build-out)
Websitewww.calgary.ca/greenline
Operation
Planned opening2027 (2027)[2]
OwnerCalgary Transit
Operator(s)Calgary Transit
CharacterAt-grade, elevated, underground
Technical
Line length20 kilometres (12 mi)
(46 km at full build-out)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
ElectrificationOverhead lines, 600 V DC[3]
Operating speed80 kilometres per hour (50 mph)
Route number203
Map diagram
Future extension
160 Avenue N
 144 Avenue N
 Stoney Trail
 North Pointe
 96 Avenue N
Beddington Trail NW
 Beddington
 64 Avenue N
 Thorncliffe
 40 Avenue N
 28 Avenue N
 16 Avenue N
 9 Avenue N
 Bow River
 2 Avenue SW
7 Avenue SW
Downtown Transit Mall
 Canadian Pacific Railway
 Centre Street S
 Red Line
 Blue Line
 4 Street SE
 Elbow River
Ramsay/Inglewood
 Canadian Pacific Railway
 26 Avenue SE
 Blackfoot Trail
 Highfield
 Deerfoot Trail
 Bow River
 Lynnwood/Millican
 Ogden
 South Hill
 Quarry Park
 Douglas Glen
 Shepard
Future extension
Prestwick
McKenzie Towne
 Stoney Trail
 Auburn Bay/Mahogany
 South Hospital
 Seton

When completed, the Green Line will comprise 29 stations spanning 46 kilometres. Like the Red Line and Blue Line, the Green Line will be built in stages. Stage one of construction will feature 15 stations (9 at-grade, 4 underground, 2 elevated) and has been funded and approved by Calgary City Council.[5] The scope and funding of future extensions to the north and to the southeast have not yet been determined.

On May 12, 2020, the City of Calgary announced changes to the alignment of the line. The changes included the addition of 9 Avenue N Station in Crescent Heights, increasing the number of stations in stage one of construction to 15, and bringing the total number of stations to 29.[6] The revised alignment replaced the deep-earth tunnel under the Bow River with an elevated guideway over the east end of Prince's Island Park, and has brought the line to the surface between 9 Avenue N and 16 Avenue N, running along the two centre lanes of Centre Street.[7] The Green Line north of 16 Avenue N has been planned as surface running train since the city’s 2017 recommendations.

On June 16, 2020, city council voted 14–1 in favour of the revised stage one alignment. Construction of stage one will begin early 2021 and will be completed in 2027.[8]

Description

The Green Line will be an urban and suburban light-rail line using low-floor trains, integrated as part of Calgary's CTrain system. Like the rest of Calgary’s rail network, the Green Line will be entirely powered by 100% renewable, wind generated electricity.[9] Generally, stations will be smaller and less elaborate than existing CTrain stations, due to the use of low-floor trains. The southeast segment of the line will run similarly to the existing Red Line and Blue Line, with a dedicated right of way, bells and gates on at-grade crossings and free standing stations. The track between 26 Avenue SE Station and Ramsay/Inglewood Station is elevated on a guideway similar to the existing Sunalta Station. The line is then completely underground with four underground stations through the Beltline, the Centre City, and Eau Claire. The underground segment begins at a tunnel portal at 11 Avenue / 6 Street SE adjacent to the Victoria Park Bus Garage. It will enter the Beltline in a shallow tunnel below 11 Avenue SE, stopping underground at 4 Street SE and Centre Street South stations before reorienting northward and entering the centre city under 2 Street SW. The train then stops underground at 7 Avenue SW Station in Calgary’s urban core, providing direct transfer to the existing Red Line and Blue Line. The train will continue north, stopping underground at 2 Avenue SW Station in Eau Claire, exiting at a tunnel portal integrated into the Eau Claire Market, which will be redeveloped similar to the Central Library to accommodate the train. Then, an S-curved elevated guideway will take tracks to Centre Street, north of the Centre Street Bridge. The train will then run northward in the centre two lanes of Centre Street in a dedicated right of way, leaving two lanes for car traffic south of McKnight Boulevard and four lanes north of McKnight Boulevard. The train will run without gates, bells or fences on most at-grade crossings along Centre Street. The train will continue northward, and tracks will eventually enter into the median of Harvest Hills Boulevard, and span north of Stoney Trail into the community of Livingston in a later stage.[6]

Stations and route
Main article: List of CTrain stations

The line will run from north-central to southeast Calgary with 46 kilometres of track and will feature 29 stations. The planned Green Line corridors are served via three bus rapid transit (BRT) routes: Route 300 (operating the Calgary International Airport and downtown, primarily along Centre Street), Route 301 (between North Pointe and downtown)[10] and Route 302 (between Seton and downtown).[11] Like the Red Line and Blue Line, the Green Line will be built in stages. Stage one of construction will extend from 16 Avenue North at 16 Avenue N Station, through downtown Calgary, to 126 Avenue SE at Shepard Station.[12]

Stage one of construction will be built incrementally in three smaller segments:[8]

Key
†Terminus (final build-out)
‡Terminus (Stage one)

Green Line (Stage one)
Station[13] GradeOpeningPlatform typeParking spaces[14]Approximate location
16 Avenue N‡At-grade2027CentreNone On Centre Street N, between 16 Avenue and 14 Avenue N in Crescent Heights, near Rosedale and Tuxedo Park
9 Avenue NAt-grade2027SideNone On Centre Street N, between 9 Avenue and 7 Avenue N in Crescent Heights
2 Avenue SWUnderground2027CentreNone Under Eau Claire, near the Bow River and Prince's Island Park, northwest of Riverfront Avenue and 2 Street SW
7 Avenue SWUnderground2027CentreNone Connection to the Red Line and Blue Line under the Centre City, at 7 Avenue and 2 Street SW
Centre Street SUnderground2027CentreNone Under 11 Avenue SE, south of the Calgary Tower in the Beltline
4 Street SEUnderground2027CentreNone Under 11 Avenue SE, east of Olympic Way SE, at Stampede Park in the Beltline
Ramsay/InglewoodElevated2027SideNone Adjacent to the existing freight railroad tracks near 11 Avenue SE, elevated over 12 Street SE in Inglewood and Ramsay
26 Avenue SEElevated2027SideNone At 26 Avenue and 11 Street SE, elevated west of the Crossroads Market
HighfieldAt-grade2027CentreNone Near Highfield Boulevard and Ogden Road SE, in Highfield, the city's oldest industrial area
Lynnwood/MillicanAt-grade2027Side600 At Ogden Road and Millican Road SE adjacent to the Pop Davies Athletic Park in Lynnwood and Millican Estates
OgdenAt-grade2027SideNone In the community of Ogden, at the Canadian Pacific Railway headquarters
South HillAt-grade2027SideNone Near Glenmore Trail and 24 Street SE adjacent to Riverbend
Quarry ParkAt-grade2027SideNone Near Quarry Park Boulevard, along 26 Street SE in Quarry Park
Douglas GlenAt-grade2027Side600 Adjacent to 114 Avenue SE near Deerfoot Trail in Douglasdale/Douglaslgen
Shepard‡At-grade2027Side600 Near 126 Avenue SE, at the South Trail Crossing shopping centre

Planned northern expansion
Station[15] GradeOpeningPlatform typeParking spaces[14]Approximate location
160 Avenue N†At-gradeTBDCentreNone On Centre St N, in the community of Livingston
144 Avenue NAt-gradeTBDCentreNone On Centre St N, at 144 Avenue N, north of Stoney Trail
North PointeAt-gradeTBDCentreTBD On Harvest Hills Blvd, at Panamount Blvd in Coventry Hills and Panorama Hills
96 Avenue NAt-gradeTBDSideTBD On Harvest Hills Blvd at 96 Street N, in Country Hills and Harvest Hills, future Calgary International Airport connection
BeddingtonAt-gradeTBDSideTBD On Centre St N, at Beddington Blvd in Beddington Heights
64 Avenue NAt-gradeTBDSideNone On Centre St N, at 64 Avenue N in Huntington Hills
ThorncliffeAt-gradeTBDSideNone On Centre St N, at McKnight Blvd in Thorncliffe
40 Avenue NAt-gradeTBDSideNone On Centre St N, at 40 Avenue N in Highland Park near the Greenview industrial area
28 Avenue NAt-gradeTBDSideNone On Centre St N, at 28 Avenue N in Highland Park

Planned southeastern expansion
Station[16] GradeOpeningPlatform typeParking spaces[14]Approximate location
PrestwickAt-gradeTBDSideTBD Adjacent New Brighton at Prestwick Gate SE / 52 Street SE
McKenzie TowneAt-gradeTBDSideTBD In McKenzie Towne and Irverness at McKenzie Towne Avenue / 52 Street SE
Auburn Bay/MahoganyAt-gradeTBDSideTBD In Auburn Bay and Mahogany, at Auburn Meadows Avenue / 52 Street SE, south of Stoney Trail
South HospitalAt-gradeTBDSideNone At the South Health Campus, adjacent to Market Street SE
Seton†At-gradeTBDCentreTBD At Seton Avenue / Seton Way SE, in the community of Seton

Expansion timeline and funding

Though the alignment and general design of future expansions have been approved by city council, the timeline and funding of future extensions has not yet been determined. Construction stage one builds the most complex and the most expensive segment of the line first - allowing incremental, relatively simple expansion of the line as funding becomes available. The full build-out of the line is estimated to require an additional CA$2 billion - $3 billion. In 2019, several potential stage two build-outs were evaluated for variable amounts of potential future funding. These were:[17]

  • CA$250-$400 million:
  • CA$400–700 million:
  • CA$700 million – $1 billion:
    • North to 64 Avenue N or
    • South to Seton or
    • North to 40 Avenue N and south to Auburn Bay/Mahogany

Additional infrastructure

When completed, stage one of the Green Line will feature:

  • 40-45 low floor light rail trains, each 40 metres long
  • 20 kilometres of track
  • 15 stations (9 at-grade, 4 underground, 2 elevated)
  • 3 park and ride facilities with a total of 1,800 - 1,900 stalls (Lynnwood/Millican, Douglas Glen, and Shepard)
  • 1 kilometre of elevated track between Ramsay/Inglewood to 26 Avenue SE stations
  • 1 light rail vehicle (LRV) maintenance and storage facility, north of Shepard Station

When the full line is complete, it will also feature 12 bridges, 10 park and ride facilities (with 5,000 to 6,000 parking stalls), 10 tunnels (including the 4 km (2.5 mi)-long centre city tunnel from 2 St SW in Eau Claire to Olympic Way SE in Victoria Park, a bridge connecting Eau Claire to Centre Street North, and 2 LRV maintenance and storage facilities (at Shepard and 96 Avenue N).[18][6]

Impact

The megaproject is expected to have far-reaching impacts to the mobility, economics and quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Calgarians.[12] Deerfoot Trail is currently the primary transportation route from north-central to southeast Calgary. It is the busiest freeway in Alberta, and suffers from chronic congestion. Calgarians spent an average of 15.7 hours in peak hour congestion in 2016.[19][20] The Green Line alignment runs adjacent to Deerfoot Trail and is expected to be a catalyst for reducing traffic on the arterial route, as well as having impacts on traffic city wide. The completed Green Line will reduce city-wide congestion by 10-15% and reduce total vehicle kilometres traveled by up to 40%.[20] Additionally, the line will reduce travel times for existing transit users by an average of about 25 minutes.[12] Centre Street between 9 Avenue N - McKnight Blvd will be reduced to two lanes for vehicle traffic, converting the road from an arterial through-road to a local street. Those wishing to travel between downtown — McKnight Blvd using Centre Street will be encouraged to ride the CTrain, or take alternate routes such as Edmonton Trail or 14 Street NW. The Green Line will contribute towards Calgary's economic recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by generating 20,000 jobs for the construction of stage one alone, and by connecting 200,000 jobs within walking distance of the route. The line will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30,000 tonnes per year and will be entirely powered by wind.[21] Stage one is expected to have a daily ridership of 65,000 people.[12]

History

Trams ran along the surface of Centre Street for 41 years, from 1909 to 1950.[22] The city’s updated 2020 alignment runs the Green Line on the surface of Centre Street, restoring the historic alignment of Calgary’s trams.

The Green Line was first envisioned in 1983.[23] As early as 1986, the communities of McKenzie Towne, New Brighton and Copperfield had set aside land along 52 Street SE for the future line. In 1987, the city then conducted the Southeast Mass Transit Corridor Study and concluded that southeast Calgary would one day require a dedicated light rail line.[24] In 2010, the city anticipated that the Green Line would be required before Calgary’s population reached 1.25 million, though the city surpassed that population just 5 years later.[25] Chronic congestion on Deerfoot Trail is partly attributed to the failure to construct the Green Line before the 1.25 million population target.[26] In 2011, the city began considering three possible alignments for the north-central leg of the Green Line: along Nose Creek adjacent to Deerfoot Trail, on Edmonton Trail, or on Centre Street. After engagement with the public, the city selected Centre Street as the preferred alignment.[27]

In 2012, the Green Line was proposed as two separate new lines — one from downtown to north central and one from downtown to the southeast.[28] The division of the line was rejected by council.[29] Through 2016, $101 million had been spent on right-of-way acquisition and preliminary studies.[30] In May 2017, the city announced the Green Line would be built in stages due to the unexpectedly high costs of certain design choices.[31] Although the original estimate for the entire 28-station Green Line was $4.5 billion,[32] the cost of Stage 1 alone, including the $1.95 billion cost of the centre city tunnel,[33] is estimated at $4.65 billion.[31] In late 2017, the city began land preparations, utility relocation and environmental redemption around the sites of South Hill, Ogden, Highfield, 26 Avenue SE, and Ramsay/Inglewood stations. Additionally, the city removed a landfill at the site of Highfield Station.[34]

In early 2019, the NDP provincial government committed $1.5 billion in funding paid for by the provincial carbon tax.[35] In late 2019, the United Conservative provincial government cut the Green Line’s budget by 86%[36] and passed a bill allowing them to terminate remaining funding “without cause” and with only 90 days notice.[37] As the megaproject’s approval was looming in early 2020, a group of wealthy oil industry and business executives, all with ties to the United Conservative Party[38], organized an invite only event at the Calgary Petroleum Club with city officials.[39] Despite speculation that the group's objective was to cancel the project[40][41], some attendees insisted otherwise.[42] One of the participants, oil industry executive Jim Gray, suggested the group was not opposed to the line but instead wanted to "de-risk" it.[42] The group called for replacing half of the rail line with a bus, cancelling the downtown subway, and for the use of high-floor trains.[43] On June 16, 2020, council rejected the group's demands and voted 14 to 1 to approve the line.[8] A poll conducted that same month found 68.7% of Calgarians in support of the project with its updated 2020 alignment.[44] The CA$4.6 billion cost of Stage 1 will be shared in roughly equal portions between the federal government, provincial government, and the City of Calgary.[45]

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See also

References
  1. "Green Line project history and milestones". Green Line LRT Project. The City of Calgary. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  2. "Green Line Stage One". Calgary Engage. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. "SD160 Light Rail Vehicle: Calgary, Canada" (PDF). Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011. Catenary supply voltage: 600 Vdc
  4. "Green Line LRT: Calgary councillors approve alternative Stage 1 route". Global News. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  5. "Green Line future stages". www.calgary.ca. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  6. Communications, Customer Service &. "Green Line - Segment 2 :: Green Line Stage One". Engage. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  7. Communications, Customer Service &. "Green Line - Segment 2 :: Green Line Stage One". Engage. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  8. "Calgary council votes to build the $5.5B Green Line". CBC News. June 16, 2020.
  9. "The City of Calgary: Investing in the Calgary Green Line".
  10. "BRT North/Downtown, Route 301" (PDF). Calgary Transit. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  11. "BRT Southeast, Route 302" (PDF). Calgary Transit. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  12. "Calgary Green Line Info graphics Place mat" (PDF).
  13. "City of Calgary Route Ahead Plan (Updated May 2020)" (PDF).
  14. Calgary Transit. "Park & Ride Locations - Calgary Transit". www.calgarytransit.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  15. "City of Calgary Route Ahead Plan (Updated May 2020)" (PDF).
  16. "City of Calgary Route Ahead Plan (Updated May 2020)" (PDF).
  17. Hudes, Sammy (March 18, 2019). "Next Green Line phase might only extend north to 64th Avenue". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  18. "Alignment and Station Overview". Green Line LRT Long Term Vision: 160 Avenue N to Seton (PDF) (Report). City of Calgary. October 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  19. "CBC: Deerfoot Trail congestion".
  20. "Green Means Go". Shane Keating — Councillor Ward 12. 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  21. "City of Calgary: Investing in Calgary's Green Line LRT".
  22. "The City of Calgary's Transit History". The Gauntlet. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  23. Keating, Shane (2019-09-20). "A (somewhat) Brief History of the Green Line". Shane Keating — Councillor Ward 12. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  24. "Southeast Mass Transit Corridor Study" (PDF).
  25. Calgary, Open. "Calgary's Population, 1958-2019 | Open Calgary". data.calgary.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  26. Keating, Shane (2017-02-24). "A Chat About Calgary Congestion". Shane Keating — Councillor Ward 12. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  27. "Suspended sediment in Trail Creek at Michigan City, Indiana". 1992. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  28. Smith, Kevin (October 29, 2012). "Canada's light rail renaissance". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  29. "City council approves Green Line, with conditions to keep it on budget". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  30. Klingbeil, Annalise (May 16, 2017). "City has spent $101M on Green Line LRT so far, land acquisition going 'pretty smoothly'". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  31. Klingbeil, Annalise (May 16, 2017). "First phase of Green Line would cost $4.65 billion, run from Crescent Heights to Shepard". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  32. Howell, Trevor (February 13, 2017). "Green Line LRT to be phased in, won't reach transit-starved communities for years". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  33. Klingbeil, Annalise (November 2, 2016). "$1.95 billion underground tunnel for Green Line LRT recommended by city". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  34. Development, Planning and. "Construction updates for Green Line". www.calgary.ca. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  35. "Funding arrangement officially secured for first stage of Calgary Transit's Green Line". Calgary. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  36. "Jason Kenney Cuts Green Line Budget 86%".
  37. "Proposed legislation allows UCP cabinet to kill Green Line funding with 90-day notice". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  38. "Group that wants pause on Green Line hosted private event with top city officials".
  39. "Green Line poll commissioned by group calling to 'de-risk' LRT tests support for 'alternative plan'". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  40. "Delay Green Line or risk 'economic catastrophe', business group tells council". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  41. "Calgary businessmen urge city to put the brakes on Green Line LRT". Calgary. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  42. SUN, Calgary; News; Calgary; Email, Share Green Line poll commissioned by group calling to 'de-risk' LRT tests support for 'alternative plan' Tumblr Pinterest Google Plus Reddit LinkedIn; Tumblr; Pinterest; Plus, Google; Reddit; LinkedIn (2020-06-11). "Green Line poll tests support for business group's 'alternative plan' | Calgary Sun". Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  43. Krause, Darren (2020-05-25). "Groups vie for footing in Calgary's Green Line debate". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  44. "New poll shows most Calgarians are in support of Green Line plan". Global News. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  45. "Alberta pledges $1.53B for Green Line LRT". CBC News Calgary. July 6, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  • Green Line LRT Long Term Vision: 160 Avenue N to Seton, in twelve parts:
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