It’s been talked about for 20 years, but finally, on November 20, 2007, Council gave the go ahead to the west leg of the LRT system.

With the MSI funding in place and secured for the next 10 years, Council approved the massive $700+ million project: 8.4 km of track, seven stations, three bus terminals with 1200 park ‘n’ ride stalls, 21 light rail vehicles, and two major transit-oriented development (TOD) sites.

Although extensions to the existing lines have been added in the last decade, this will be the first entirely new leg since the northwest University line was built in 1987. It will expand Calgary’s CTrain service to the more than 80,000 residents of the southwest communities, a number that is expected to grow to more than 115,000 by 2015.

On June 9th 2008 Council approved the final alignment of the West LRT. Construction will begin in 2009, and the line should be ready for its first riders in 2012.