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People vocally opposed to the BRT project were most concerned about poor planning, budget and feared that the community of Woodbine would become a big parking lot for commuters. The “nightmarish” construction along 14th Street that began in 2018 also caused serious opposition to the project, said Cartmell.

But now that the line will soon be operational, he’s excited to see how it will positively impact people in the community who use transit regularly. He would have appreciated MAX Yellow years ago when he used to travel downtown more often.

Where there have been opponents to the line, there have also been advocates, with some people eager to connect the southwest with the rest of the city.

Jay Nelson, president of the PBP (Palliser, Bayview, Pump Hill) Community Association, said current southwest bus routes restrict travel around the city.

“When you’re travelling downtown or to the University of Calgary from our community, you really only have one option which is to go to Heritage or Southland stations and catch a train from there,” said Nelson. “We’re hoping that it will provide more accessibility for people who work downtown or go to Rockyview hospital or Mount Royal. Generally speaking, we’re excited and eager to see how it works out.”

MAX Yellow is the fourth line in the BRT series, with MAX Purple, Teal and Orange launching in November 2018. Together, the four rapid transit lines are expected to service more than 320,000 Calgarians in every quadrant, including 32 communities.