That with respect to Verbal Report C2024-1045, the following amendment be adopted: That Council insert the following as a new Recommendation 4: Direct Administration to: Include the costs of Green Line Program wind down in the Mid-Cycle Adjustments so there is transparency for the public on costs associated with termination of the Program by the Government of Alberta; Return to Council by end of Q4 2024 with a legal opinion on how to transfer costs associated with wind down to the Government of Alberta, as their cancellation of the Green Line Program on September 3, 2024 triggered the termination of the project; Return to council with an option to consider first diverting any funds previously allocated to the Green Line towards presently unfunded Route Ahead priority public transit projects, provided any allocated funds remain following wind down; Draft a clear set of criteria by which the City of Calgary will consider engaging with the Government of Alberta on any future
Council instructed Administration to document and manage the end of the Green Line program: report wind-down costs in mid-cycle budget adjustments, obtain a legal opinion by end of Q4 2024 on whether those costs can be transferred to the Government of Alberta, propose diverting any remaining Green Line funds to priority transit projects, set clear criteria for any replacement LRT (including funding partners, alignment, stations, accessibility, maintenance, delivery and risk allocation), and report back on heritage options for Ogden Block by end of Q1 2025. Council also authorized the Green Line Board and City Administration to wind down the program and directed staff to close out the program while preserving assets and information.
These directions determine immediate budget entries and potential liability shifts, set the framework for reallocating remaining transit funds and future LRT decision-making, and require preservation of program assets and heritage review for Ogden Block — all of which affect City finances, transit delivery, and heritage outcomes.