Jane Ebbern represented the Calgary Alliance at a council meeting this spring that focused on the Green Line LRT project. She was featured on local news website Sprawl Alberta. Her comments are below.

JANE EBBERN: I'm here to speak on behalf of the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, which brings together 31 organizations that represent approximately 36,000 Calgarians. Together we organize the power of our communities to shape a just and compassionate Calgary.

The Green Line is an essential project for our city, and it needs to start now. The Green Line is essential for employment. Our people can't wait for 12,000 direct jobs – in fact, 20,000 jobs in total when we include indirect. We desperately need this huge infrastructure project during this major economic downturn. These jobs are critical to Calgary's recovery.

The Green Line is essential to the environment. We can't wait another year to reduce 30,000 tons of greenhouse gases each year.

And the Green Line is also essential for connecting our city. People shouldn't have to wait for another year in traffic or without good public transit between their communities and jobs.

We are building this Green Line for the Calgary of the future, and we need to start now. It is not acceptable that there are people sitting back making six-figure salaries, delaying this project, while families go without, waiting for these jobs, and they need these jobs now.

The Green Line was well researched and engineered by the city and many external experts and then approved last June 14-1 by city council. It's a good plan, a sound project.

What are we waiting for?

• "Sprawlcast: Groundhog Day On The Green Line" - Link