Downtown Segment

Why are you doing a functional study of the Downtown Segment of Green Line? Didn’t you do this before?

A functional study for the Downtown Segment of the Green Line LRT will determine the technical requirements needed to bring the train from Event Centre/Grand Central Station into downtown.

We have done other studies of the Downtown Segment of Green Line. When The City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta reached an agreement to restore funding to the project in October 2024, it was contingent on a Downtown Segment which would not include a deep tunnel. With this change in approach, a new functional plan was required.   

Where will the Downtown Segment travel through downtown?

For the Downtown Segment, we initially studied an elevated alignment which would travel along 10 Avenue and 2 Street S.W. In June 2026, Council directed Administration to identify alternative alignment options to reach downtown. Council will ultimately determine which option or options to advance for further study and design.

Has a final decision been made on whether the Downtown Segment will be elevated or underground?

Council directed us to explore and evaluate potential alternatives for the Downtown Segment. Our analysis for the Downtown Segment is not considering a tunnel in this phase. Alternative alignment options will only consider at-grade or elevated options.

This work will take place over the summer, and we will return to Executive Committee on September 8, 2026, outlining our assessment of feasible options to help Council make decisions on the path forward.

What happened to the deep tunnel option downtown?

After months of work with the Province of Alberta in 2024 on a path forward for the largest infrastructure investment in Calgary’s history, in January 2025 Council approved moving forward with an elevated route for the Downtown Segment of Green Line.

In September 2024, the Government of Alberta withdrew its funding for the project, citing concerns with the value Albertans would receive for this historic investment. After negotiations between The City and The Province, an interim agreement to restore provincial funding was reached on October 10, 2024. One of the requirements to restore the funding was to develop a new alignment for the Downtown Segment that does not include the extensive tunnelling previously approved.

The City is now developing a Functional Plan for a downtown alignment. Part of the Functional Plan requirements are to conduct public engagement and receive broad public support before moving ahead with detailed design and construction.

Will the Plus 15 Network be affected by the Green Line LRT Downtown Segment? If so, how will it be affected?

With Council’s recent direction to explore and evaluate potential alternatives for the Downtown Segment, we don’t know how the Plus 15 Network will be impacted. 

When a route is selected, we will be able to determine options to integrate or connect the Green Line LRT into the Plus 15 Network downtown.

To build an underground route, will you seek additional funding from the Federal Government?

We are not currently seeking additional funding above what the Provincial and Federal Governments have already agreed to for Phase 1 of the Green Line. 

What is an elevated route or guideway?

A guideway is an above ground structure for the tracks that the light rail vehicles (LRVs) will travel along. This means that the LRVs will be above ground travelling along a guideway, kept separate from people driving, walking and wheeling. Through the Functional Plan we will determine what the guideway will look like for the Green Line from Event Centre/Grand Central Station into downtown.

Can you cross at-grade over the CPKC tracks? 

No, we cannot cross at-grade over the CPKC train tracks, as the interface of freight and transit operations would result in unreliable schedules.  

How will you make sure the stations are safe? 

We are aware of public concerns about safety on the transit system. To address this priority, in October 2023, Council approved a multi-disciplinary Public Transit Safety Strategy. The strategy contains specific actions and accountabilities, and steps are being taken every day to improve safety. Visit the Public Transit Safety Strategy page for details on what’s been done so far and next steps underway.

How the project will respond to safety concerns:

The Green Line LRT Downtown Segment project is still in the Functional Planning Study stage.  Our study will document safety considerations and lessons learned from existing stations and public engagement. This will guide future design and construction phases as follows:

Integrate safety into early planning:
The project will identify opportunities to enhance station safety by applying early-stage Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to the design of new stations and any pillars or columns that support the guideway. 

Plan stations with surrounding land use:
The study will consider how station area planning, traffic and pedestrian circulation, landscaping and nearby land uses can support safety and visibility. Land uses that encourage the active, continuous presence of people in the area can increase “eyes on the street” and help discourage unsafe behaviour around stations, creating a more welcoming environment for all riders.

Leverage lessons from existing LRT lines:
Safety improvements identified through Calgary’s Public Transit Safety Strategy, like clear signage, improved station lighting, and unobstructed sightlines, will guide safety considerations in this study.

Collect and transfer public feedback:
Public input related to personal safety, comfort and visibility gathered during engagement will be compiled and carried forward to the preliminary design stage, where it will help shape detailed design decisions.

How will loud train noises be mitigated? 

As part of this study, we will conduct a noise study to determine what noise will be generated by the tracks and LRVs. 

We will follow industry best practices for noise mitigation to reduce noise as much as possible. 

What will happen to make sure there isn’t a lot of vibration caused by the train passing by? 

As part of this study we will study what vibration is caused by the selected alignment and follow industry best practices to mitigate it where possible. 

Why can’t you wait until we have funding to build a deep tunnel through downtown? 

We have a funding agreement in place with the Provincial and Federal Governments to deliver Phase 1 of the Green Line. This includes the SE and Downtown Segments of the line. If Phase 1 of Green Line stops at the Event Centre station without a plan to bring riders into the downtown, we will not meet the requirements of our funding agreement. 

Can you build the train to the airport instead of connecting Green Line with downtown?

Separate from Green Line, planning is underway to extend the Blue Line LRT north from Saddletowne Station to a new station at 88 Avenue and 60 Street N.E. This extension will provide a future connection to the Calgary International Airport.

In parallel, The City is undertaking the Airport Transit Connection project, which will determine how to connect the Blue Line in the Northeast to the Calgary International Airport.  

How will the Downtown Segment connect to the North Segment of Green Line? 

How the Downtown and North Segments of the Green Line LRT connect will be part of a future functional planning study. 

When will you start planning/designing the North Segment of Green Line? 

We do not have the funding to begin the functional planning study for Phase 2 of the Green Line LRT, so it’s unknown when it will begin. 

What’s happening in Eau Claire? 

Once the alternative alignment options have been presented and Council has provided direction on how the Downtown Segment should proceed, we will better understand what this means for Eau Claire, Chinatown, the Beltline, and the downtown as a whole. 

When will construction start for the Downtown Segment?

Once the functional study is complete, Council must approve the recommended route. The project will then move into the detailed design phase where more engineering work is required for the track and stations. Once detailed design is complete, construction can start.

How will access to buildings and parking be maintained during construction of the Downtown Segment?

The Downtown Segment is still in the Functional Planning Study stage, so construction impacts are currently unknown.

During the detailed design stage, impacts on building and parking access will be identified and plans made to mitigate them prior to construction.

How will you manage the noise and vibrations caused by construction?

The Downtown Segment is still in the Functional Planning Study stage, so construction impacts are currently unknown.

During the detailed design stage, noise and vibration impacts to adjacent buildings will be identified and plans made to mitigate them prior to construction.