Calgary Herald

Southwest BRT opponents claim victory, expect delays to project

- BILL KAUFMANN BKaufmann@postmedia.com on Twitter: @BillKaufma­nnjrn

Opponents of the proposed southwest bus rapid transit line are claiming a victory after a city committee agreed to seek answers for dozens of questions they raised Wednesday.

Opponents even say that 4-3 decision will lead to a delay in the constructi­on of the contentiou­s south leg of the southwest BRT project, though at least one Calgary councillor said it’s not the case.

Following a record-long 15-hour meeting, weary city councillor­s referred 60 questions raised by presenters to city administra­tion, who’ll report back to the transporta­tion and transit committee in July.

Citizens are finally being heard after months of derision and rejection, said Alan Hallman, spokesman for the group Ready to Engage, which is opposed to the plan.

“This is a big win for us, for all of Calgary,” he said. “They’re finally listening to the people most affected by this.”

In a hearing that became heated at times, Ready to Engage members and their allies attacked the project as economical­ly unfeasible, disruptive, unsafe, affecting access to Rockyview Hospital and deceptivel­y marketed.

Several others, including the president of the Mount Royal Students’ Associatio­n, praised the bus route as a godsend for people poorly served by public transit.

But Hallman said the questions raised will lead to delays in the building of the route south of Glenmore Reservoir, which has been scheduled to start next year.

“They’re stopping that portion until the 60 questions are answered,” he said.

Coun. Sean Chu said the transporta­tion and transit committee’s decision means “the southern portion will be on hold; we’re waiting for administra­tion to address those concerns.”

Work on the less-contentiou­s downtown section is still set to begin later this year, said Chu.

Council members are obligated to take citizen concerns seriously, he added.

“I heard loud and clear and my thinking is we have to do a consultati­on ... if you have good consultati­on,

This is a big win for us, for all of Calgary. They’re finally listening to the people most affected by this.

people will buy in,” he said. “Let’s reset.”

But Coun. Brian Pincott, who voted against the referral, said that vote won’t further delay the 2017 start of the southern portion, whose completion had already been set back a year from 2018 to 2019.

And he said dealing with questions raised Wednesday was largely needless.

“I don’t see what’s to be gained. The questions and concerns we heard from the public were ones already expressed and the city staff were already working on them,” said Pincott.

“A lot of the answers were actually in Wednesday’s report.”

Pincott said opposition was narrow to a project that “benefits all of southwest Calgary.”

Earlier Wednesday, Ready to Engage mobilized about 100 protesters who descended on Municipal Plaza for a colourful and mostly uneventful show of force.

They emphasized a city administra­tion report that showed the cost of the southwest BRT line has grown from an initial $40 million to as much as $65.6 million.

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