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Green Line manager Michael Thompson said the new route can be built on budget, and Green Line committee chair Coun. Shane Keating said the new plan helps restore confidence and credibility in the project after a bumpy ride in recent months.

“Over the next two months I think we’ll see nothing but more and more of that credibility and confidence being rebuilt,” he said.

“When the decision comes, we have to look at it in its entirety and what it does for the future.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi called the Green Line “a one-in-many-lifetimes opportunity” for city council, but stressed the need to get it right. He acknowledged the path through Eau Claire and Chinatown is “super tricky,” and he’s still waiting to see what specifics city officials can offer about what it will look like.

Coun. Druh Farrell said she also wants to see more details on the bridge’s path from downtown to Crescent Heights, especially since it will be travelling above the eastern tip of Prince’s Island Park and river pathways in the area.

“All of those areas are incredibly sensitive. There’s a community there and there’s beloved green space, and so how we design this is extremely important,” she said.

Running the LRT at street level instead of underground along Centre Street N. changes the conversation with those communities, too, Farrell said.

“The devil is in the details in how this Green Line interacts with the adjacent communities.”

Thompson said the city is continuing discussions with building owners, businesses and community groups as they work on the Bow River bridge design and how to integrate the LRT into areas where it’s now planned to run at grade.