Quote:
Originally Posted by Roughneck
I think there were still the pragmatists with enough influence trying to ensure the 16th through downtown portion getting done first because anything less would represent a huge obstacle for any expansion. For the NC supporters, being able to sell 16th to McKnight as a section, and McKnight to North Pointe as another had a much more palatable timeline than what we would have been facing now: focus on the SE then needing to pay for the Eau Claire to 16th Ave portion before getting anywhere meaningful on the NC line.
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True even with that significant disappointment in 2017 there was still hope about cost savings and a bit more funding to make a manageable extension to 64th Avenue.
But with current conditions (and planning/investment) even as an ardent NC supporter, the only real option is to build to the deep SE to get some ridership. And a 4th Street SE to Seton should be well under $6B since there's nothing comparable in challenge to DT on that route.
And in the meantime, Council needs to finally do their job and demand accurate costs for the remaining segments and options. So that Council and the Public can agree on what's the best route forward, and that they can discuss with the higher levels of government on funding schedules. That way, at least long-suffering NC bus riders can finally voice their opinion on whether they would prefer a tunnel in the DT core even if that meant no LRT service to Panorama until 2060, instead of being forgotten every single time the Green Line needed to be cut back.