On January 28, 2025, Council faced a critical decision: approve the Government of Alberta's proposal to extend the Green Line route from the deep south through downtown or scrap the project entirely—losing billions in provincial and federal funding. Ultimately, Council made the right choice to move forward.

Councillor Sharp knows that the Province’s proposal for an elevated track downtown isn’t perfect, and there is significant work ahead. But, Councillor Sharp is committed to engaging with residents and businesses to thoroughly analyze key risks, including flooding and stormwater impacts, noise and vibration, public safety, traffic modeling, and property values. This decision wasn’t about politics—it was about delivering the Green Line in a responsible and sustainable way for Calgarians. 

Next steps

With Council’s decision to move forward, work will begin immediately on a Functional Plan for the Downtown Segment to refine the design, validate cost estimates, and assess potential impacts. This includes:

• Public engagement to ensure broad community support.
• Impact analysis on flooding, noise, vibration, public safety, and traffic.
• Procurement and approvals for construction phases.

Projected timeline:

• 2025: Shovels in the ground for the SE Segment (Shepard to Event Centre).
• 2026: Completion of the Downtown Functional Plan.
• 2027: Construction of the Downtown Segment begins.
• The future north extension remains a priority, contingent on securing funding.

On October 10, 2024, the City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta announced that the Green Line LRT project would advance from 4th Street S.E. to Shepard, pausing the previous decision to wind down the project. Councillor Sharp welcomed this outcome, though she expressed disappointment that it didn’t happen sooner. In September, she had proposed an amendment to pause the wind-down process, which failed. Had it been approved then, this decision could have been made sooner, mitigating financial and reputational losses.

However, the project's continuation is a direct result of the motion arising, championed by Councillor Sharp and moved by Councillor McLean. This motion established a working group to collaborate on advancing the Green Line, with support from Councillors McLean, Chabot, Wyness, Wong, Chu, Spencer, and Dhaliwal.

Council voted 10-5 in favor of winding down Phase 1 of the Green Line on September 17, 2024, with a minimum estimated cost of $850 million, in addition to the $1.3 billion already spent.

Councillor Sharp strongly opposed this decision, along with Councillors McLean, Spencer, Chu, and Chabot. While she had concerns about the project’s scope under the "Building the Core" plan, she remained committed to finding a more efficient alignment to serve Calgarians better.

She brought forward an amendment urging collaboration between the City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta to continue the project. The amendment proposed the creation of a working group to develop a new plan within 90 days to accelerate the Green Line’s delivery. While the amendment failed 9-6, Council later approved a motion arising that included establishing the working group.

Councillor Sharp believed winding down the project was both financially and reputationally irresponsible and amounted to abandoning Calgarians—both those who supported the Green Line and those who wanted a more cost-effective alternative.

On July 30, 2024, Council heard from the Green Line board, project team, and City Administration about a revised plan called "Building the Core", which shortened the route while increasing costs. Despite its shortcomings, the plan passed with a 10-5 vote, with Councillor Sharp and four other Councillors opposing it.

"Building the Core" plan:

• The original 18-kilometre alignment from Shepard to Eau Claire was reduced.
• Key stations at Ogden, South Hill, Quarry Park, Douglas Glen, and Shepard were removed.
• The Centre Street S. station was deferred, and the 4 Street S.E. station was moved from below grade to ground level.
• The revised plan cost $6.2 billion—more than the original $5.5 billion plan for a longer route.
• Councillor Sharp opposed this version of the project, believing it provided less for more money and failed to serve the areas that needed it most—particularly in the south. She also raised concerns about financial risks, cost escalations, and the impact on future infrastructure investments.