Calgary council pressured to approve Green Line project under ‘condensed timeline’ [Video]

With timelines tightening, Calgary city council is asking for an urgent meeting with the Alberta government to discuss a reworked plan to build a multibillion-dollar light-rail-transit line connecting the city’s southeast to downtown.

The Alberta government announced its revamped Green Line proposal on Friday, saying it would save more than $1 billion, with the next step a decision from Calgary council on whether to proceed. The plan includes an elevated track instead of a tunnel downtown and five more stations.

A public presentation on the new proposal at city council Tuesday was limited, as ordered by the province for confidentiality reasons. Council was required to go behind closed doors to discuss the full details.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she only learned of the reworked plan at a 7 a.m. meeting with the province on Friday. Some details were released to media less than an hour later.

Council didn’t receive the …