LRT meeting hears call to bury tracks

More than 150 people gathered Wednesday toshare their concerns about plans for the western leg of the LRT, and call on council to boost the tab by more than $80 million to put the tracks underground in one community.

The public meeting was scheduled to be held in the basement of Old City Hall, where the committee usually meets, but the number of concerned citizens prompteda move to the roomier main council chambers.

Last week, the committee unveiled $20 million worth of tweaks to the eight-kilometre, six-station C-Train route, which will run along the Bow Trail, 33rd Street and 17th Avenue S.W.

The original $700-million plan approved by city council in November called for an elevated track running 22 metres over Crowchild Trail. Residents of Sunalta and Scarboro protested the plan, citing concerns over noise and the height of the track.

In response to those complaints, the city has mapped out a new route, pushing a portion of the tracks northward and moving a section down to street level, where it would run along the median of Bow Trail for several blocks. This plan would take longer to construct than the original.

Representatives for the community of Westgate planned to attend Wednesday to request that plans be changed to accommodate their concerns as well.

Wendy Harinck, of the Westgate Community Association, said putting a train at ground level would just heighten the risk at the already dangerous intersection of 17th Avenue and 45th Street, which is also the home of several emergency services headquarters.

"It's an incredibly busy intersection and people are crossing it all the time and a train crossing?," she said"It's just going to be a matter time before someone gets hurt."

Harinck added that it would be well worththe estimatedadditional $83 million neededto put the tracks and station underground below 45th Street.

"The city is on the record for saying that safety is their number one concern with the LRT, yet, when they have the option of putting it underground and keeping it safe, they cite cost as the reason why they do not want it on the main line," she said. "I say to the city, what's the cost of our children, for keeping them safe?"

Alderman Joe Connelly said the city has only one chance to install the LRT correctlyand putting the train through the intersection wouldn't be the right choice.

"The solution would be to do it right the first time. And to do it right the first time is to bury it under 17th Avenue," he said. "If your house is burning, you want the firemen there right away, you don't want them stopped at the corner of 45th and 17th unable to get out because of a red light."

Connelly said he would ask for the project's tab to be increased by another $100 million to ensure the city gets it right.

It's estimated that 40,000 people will ride trains daily from the west side to downtown when the line opens in 2012.

Council hopes to begin construction next year, with the route completed in 2012.