While two-thirds of Calgarians citywide show support for an elevated downtown Green Line, eight in 10 downtown stakeholders had a negative impression of the alignment, according to engagement data.

Calgary city councillors will receive a more robust Green Line update on June 9, and with it a What We Heard Report that showed the results of engagement with more than 2,500 people from January to March 2026.

The results of a foundational online survey of 1,250 Calgarians showed positive sentiment towards the elevated Green Line option, with 65 per cent of people overall saying they felt positive about the alignment.  The survey notes that 20 per cent were only somewhat positive.

The survey included 1,016 people from across Calgary and oversampled (234 people) for the downtown area, including the Beltline, Eau Claire, Chinatown and the East Village.

“Optimism about the elevated route but meaningful concerns remain: Perceptions of the elevated route are generally positive across Calgary, but downtown residents in particular hold stronger reservations,” read the Stone Olafson survey summary.  

“They express greater worry about negative impacts, including social disorder, noise, business impacts, and neighbourhood aesthetics, compared to those living outside the core.”

The Green Line project team also conducted one-on-one interviews with potentially impacted business owners, property owners, and community organizations. Their support for the Green Line was high, but 83 per cent had a negative impression of the elevated alignment.

There was concern about how the elevated route conflicts with Calgary’s downtown revitalization strategy.

“Many felt the elevated route may undermine these goals if decisions about the Downtown Segment are not aligned with Calgary’s long-term vision for downtown,” read the What We Heard Report.

“Many felt an elevated LRT conflicts with ongoing revitalization efforts like current investments in arts and entertainment districts, office-to-residential conversions and improvements in Eau Claire.”

Safety, property value impact still a concern for stakeholders

Ward 8 Coun. Nathan Schmidt said that the survey data clearly shows there’s a stark contrast between the broader Calgary opinion and the thoughts of those folks who an elevated line would directly impact.

“I think part of those numbers reflect the fact that they just want to see this thing happen, but ultimately I think it still reflects that the best way to make this happen is the underground,” he told LWC.

Stone Olafson’s work with focus groups captured Schmidt’s sentiment.

“These focus groups demonstrated that Calgarians want the Green Line built and understand why it matters for their city’s future. Unfortunately, the wide support the project receives is buried under negative associations after a decade of project challenges,” the summary read.

“Calgarians are anxious for the project to be completed, but are skeptical that The City will be able to deliver a city-transforming project while addressing cost and safety concerns.”

Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson said that when one looks at the high-level data, it’s great to see that Calgarians want to see the city-shaping project come to fruition.

“When you dig into the details, the more educated and knowledgeable you are about the project, the more you are related to the space that it’s going to be inhabiting, the more you want to make sure that it is done properly and in a way that won’t affect the outcomes in downtown,” he said.

Those details include concerns about business viability, noise, vibration, and their impact on desirability or property values, along with the impact to the Plus 15 network. Safety was also a major concern.

“They shared concerns that the concrete pillars will increase shading, create dark corners, reduce visibility and encourage encampments beneath elevated guideways,” the report said.

“Interest holders also noted increased security measures may be required to mitigate crime and disorder downtown.”

In the recent debate over Calgary’s free fare zone removal, Calgary Transit indicated that safety, or the perception of safety, was a primary driver of people deciding to take public transit.

Concerns among respondents to the Green Line survey mirror those about using transit overall.

Listen to the voices of those impacted: Atkinson

Atkinson said that if you look at any of the elevated transit lines built in North America of the past 50 years, few, if any, have had a positive impact on the area.

Just looking at the topline number of broad-based support is risky if it drowns out the voices of those most affected.

That’s why hearing from local residents and weighing their voices accordingly is critical, he said.

“When you dig into the details, the folks who are closest to the project, the folks who understand the details of the project, and how an alignment and verticality of that placement within the downtown affects the outcomes, you view an elevated run as our risk to the downtown,” he said.

“We need to take that and weigh that heavily into the decisions that we make on the other side of this project.”

Schmidt said that while we’re weighing public sentiment, there’s got to be a recognition that an elevated version of the downtown Green Line alignment hasn’t been costed.

“We actually don’t know what the true cost difference is going to be, and there’s some very complicated and potentially difficult aspects to the above-ground alignment. Like, the fact that needs to go over the CPKC line, it needs to get over the plus 15s, and has that actually been fully considered in the costs? We don’t know, because it’s still being assessed,” he said.

That will be an important balance for the project’s ultimate success, Schmidt said. Determining the implications of above-ground versus below-ground, taking into account cost, public safety, traffic impacts, and businesses and downtown vibrancy.

“We had a highly popular and previously costed underground option, and it seems clear to me that underground is still the best way forward,” he said.  

“Really, I’m hoping that when we await the province’s decision on how to move forward, we can move forward in a way that’s collaborative and gets the best outcome for Calgarians.”