[powderjunkie]

I'm a bleeding heart leftie and transit zealot. I did not think this was a smart project in the Shephard to 16th configuration, but I could accept that it was a reasonable enough way to get started. Every scope reduction since then has been farcical.

This thing was ####ed from day 1. The leadership structure (or lack thereof) was a massive problem, coupled with councillors sticking their noses in with moronic directions. Setting up the Green Line Board was a step in the right direction (albeit a half decade too late), but their mandate was poor. They were tasked specifially with building Shephard to 16th, at the exclusion of any other possibilities of the broader plan (including North BRT that was part of the 2017 approved plan). Limiting their scope made some sense, but with every uncovered piece of bad news they remained boxed in to a nonsensical alignment.

In 2017, Shepard to 16th was just barely the least bad of several disappointing options (compared to the fantastical 2015 announcement), but it is increasingly clear that decision was made on some very poor assumptions/analysis. The OPEX on this was always going to suck.


A sensible solution has always been obvious (with the caveat of requiring buy-in from the province and feds....which the tunnel visioned SELRT just failed anyways): BRT to the SE; designed to be easily converted to LRT if/when it is actually justified. Focus on North LRT. It's much shorter, simpler*, and higher yield ridership. No tunnels necessary if you drop the requirement of connecting the lines (at least immediately).

But ultimately the UCPs rationale here is ####ing stupid. #### the UCP.