Nine Reasons To Support the Green Line - You Won’t Believe #5!
Public transit is for everyone! There’s a good reason for just about everyone to use Calgary Transit, and especially the Green Line, which will eventually connect the city from North to South. To prove it, we’ve rounded up nine reasons to support the Green Line.
Take a peek at our list and then why not tweet us with your reason for supporting the Green Line using the hashtag #YYC4Transit.
1. The Green Line Will Make Calgary More Accessible
When Stage 1 is completed, the Green Line will run 20 km across the city, from Shepard in the South to 16 Avenue North 16 Ave with enhanced BRT all the way north to 160 Ave. Along the way, the Line will stop at 15 stations, connecting riders with the Blue Line, the Red Line and dozens of bus routes, providing speedy, easy access to anywhere in the City, with only ten minutes between trains. Not only that, but the low-floor, modern LRT design makes the Green Line more accessible for everyone.
2. That View!
Renderings of the Green Line route, especially as it crosses the bridge over the Bow River make on the clear: this train’s is going to show off the beauty of the Calgary Skyline to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west. We’re calling it now: “Riding the Green Line” is going to become as essential a tourist activity as visiting the Calgary Central Library or crossing the Peace Bridge.
3. Save Some Time!
While cars are considered by some to be the ultimate time saving device, did you even notice how long they actually take you to get from one place to another. Let’s take, for instance, a drive from your home to the Saddledome… leave the house, get some gas, drive to Victoria Park, look for parking, look some more for parking, attempt to parallel park, re-attempt to parallel park, look some more for parking, park, pay for parking, walk 8 blocks to the Saddledome. Now, let’s try that again with the Green Line… leave the house, hop on the Green Line at Crescent Heights station, hop off the train and walk to your seat. How quick was that? You even have time to grab an extra hot dog before the game starts. Yum!
4. Support for Jobs!
(Source: CBC Calgary/Stacee Barton - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/green-line-transitway-construction-gets-underway-in-southeast-calgary-1.2801142)
The City of Calgary estimates that the Green Line construction process will create upwards of 20,000 jobs, supported by billions of dollars in funding from the Federal and Provincial government. That is “billions”, with a “b”. Your support will get the train rolling on using those dollars to get your neighbours back to work!
5. More Animal Crossing!
One of the best things about taking Calgary Transit is the opportunity to just sit back and relax and let the bus take you where you need to go. This free time allows you to focus your attention on more important things - and yes, maybe even some unimportant things too! A survey of Green Line supporters offers up a handful of things you can do on the Green Line that will be more relaxing than sitting in traffic on the Deerfoot: reading a book, playing Animal Crossing, checking your instagram, goofing around on your group chat, signing Project Calgary petitions, or even just closing your eyes and shutting your noisy brain off. All of which would get you a ticket if you did them behind the wheel of a car!
6. Fight Climate Change
It has been estimated that the Green Line will remove the equivalent of 6,000 cars from the road annually, resulting in 30,000 tons of carbon staying out of the atmosphere. Given the other benefits of riding the Green Line, it will make the choice to reduce GHG emissions easier than ever before!
7. Save Your Pennies!
Compared to operating an automobile, using the Green Line is a fiscally responsible decision. Between the cost of gas, insurance, parking and maintenance, one could be spending thousands of dollars a month just to take care of the basic necessities of life, such as getting to work, buying groceries or taking care of family members. With expanded transit access through the Green Line, these responsibilities become easier and more affordable, leaving Calgarians with more money in their pockets at the end of the week.
8. Get to the airport!
The Green Line Stage 1 will get us LRT closer to the airport from Downtown. Without the completion, as part of Phase One of the Green Line, of a train bridge across the Bow River to 16th Avenue, it is unlikely that we will ever again get the Federal and Provincial support to connect the Green Line to a future airport link down the road. By showing your support now for the Green Line approval today, you can help to ensure that Calgary can provide LRT to the airport in the future!
9. Get Involved in Your Community!
Making a stand and showing your support for the Green Line not only helps your community and neighbours, but trust us, it’ll make you feel good! So, in order to get those endorphins flowing, we recommend you share this post and consider our five other calls to action - we need your help now more than ever! The Council vote is on June 15, just six days away!
About the author
Anonymous former Buzzfeed writer.
For more info on the Green Line visit the City of Calgary's Green Line engagement page>>.