Summary#

Calgary City Council approved the Green Line LRT update on September 22, 2026, by a vote of 12 to 2. It selected a surface alignment on 10 Avenue and 2 Street SW for the downtown segment and directed City staff to advance its planning, design and procurement; the stated goal is to connect rapid transit from the southeast into downtown.

• City staff must stop work on Option 1, the elevated alignment on 10 Avenue and 2 Street SW. The motion does not expressly direct staff to stop work on Option 2.
• Staff must bring forward budgets for planning and design for the southeast extension to Seton and the north corridor, for Council’s consideration in the 2027–2030 budget processes.
• Staff must report by November 3 on those budget estimates and on full-build costs for the Max Green Bus Rapid Transit line from Keystone Hills to downtown, including operating assets and costs by phase. They must also report on planning for a downtown BRT loop or station.
• Staff must develop a 10 Avenue public realm, streetscape and mobility plan. A full scoping report is due by Q1 2027, and updates must be included in quarterly Green Line reports.
• A confidential attachment must stay confidential until the transaction closes, with a review set for December 3, 2039.

What it means for you#

• Transit riders: The selected downtown route will run at street level and include a Beltline station, according to City staff. The motion advances planning and design; it does not approve construction funding for this downtown segment.
• People and businesses near 10 Avenue: Staff must plan for vehicles, parking, walking, wheeling and connections between the Green Line, communities north of the CPKC corridor and the Beltline. The motion does not set the final street design.
• People in the southeast and north: Staff must bring forward budgets for planning and design, but this decision does not fund or schedule construction of those extensions.
• Calgary taxpayers: The decision requires further planning and cost estimates. It does not state a final cost for the selected downtown option.

Money#

The decision gives no cost estimate for the selected option or the new planning work, though staff must bring forward budget estimates.

• City staff say Option 3 is within the available funding envelope. They expect it to have lower ridership than Option 1 and nominally lower ridership than Option 2.
• Staff estimated that Option 1 could cost $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion, about $1 billion above its approved budget. This is a high-level estimate, not a revised cost estimate for Option 3.
• The report says there is “no anticipated financial impact,” but the motion requires staff to report on budgets for future work. It does not approve those budgets.
• For Phase 1, the report lists $2.24 billion in committed costs and $1.83 billion spent as of July 31, 2026. These figures cover the project to date, not the cost of this decision.

What is unclear#

• The selected route’s final design, construction cost, schedule and expected ridership are not set out in the decision.
• It is unclear how the route will connect to future north-corridor service and whether it will deliver a continuous north-south line through downtown.
• The motion does not specify how the 10 Avenue plan will address concerns about property access, crossings, vehicle movement or links to downtown.
• The motion does not set out the scope, cost or delivery schedule for the BRT loop or station.
• The confidential attachment’s contents are not available in the supplied material.

Case for#

• City staff say the surface option avoids elevated structures through downtown and the Beltline, includes a Beltline station and fits the available funding envelope. They say this better responds to concerns about public space, pedestrian access and business visibility.
• The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good supports reaching the Beltline and continuing north, and calls for BRT service for North Central Calgary while the north LRT is delayed.
• The business organizations that submitted a letter said Option 3 appeared to have fewer risks and negative impacts than the elevated options, and to be more financially feasible.

Case against#

• The business organizations said Option 3 may have lower ridership and raised concerns about access on 10 Avenue, vehicle movement near Macleod Trail and the Stampede area, and connections from the 2 Street SW station to downtown.
• The Beltline Neighbourhoods Association said the surface option would need added investment, including safer crossings, a stronger streetscape and a pedestrian connection across the CPKC line. It preferred an underground route.
• The LRT on the Green Foundation warned that north-corridor planning should settle how it connects through downtown to the southeast line. Council directed north planning but did not include the foundation’s requested wording on that connection.
• Councillors Dhaliwal and Wyness voted against the decision. The supplied material does not give their reasons.