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Tempers flared at City Hall over the LRT debate Tuesday as north-side councillors worried their end of the city could get shafted.

“I’m just dumbfounded by what’s happened here since the announcement of a hospital in the southwest of the city,” said Coun. Dave Loken, worried the south extension will take priority over building LRT tracks to St. Albert.

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“We’re four months from a civic election and people are going to be asking about this. … Do I tell them it’s going to be another 30 years?” said Loken, adding Edmonton better at least get a bridge over the CN Rail lines just north of Yellowhead Trail and offer rapid bus service if that’s the case.

“We’re talking a part of the city that has no LRT,” said Loken. “It’s gonna be very difficult for me to be a team player if that doesn’t get more of a priority.”

Alberta just announced plans for a new southwest hospital on 127 Street south of Ellerslie Road, and councillors Michael Walters and Bryan Anderson have suggested that’s one more reason to prioritize the south extension.

The south extension of the existing Capital Line could run all the way past the planned high-density Heritage Valley Town Centre.

But Loken and Coun. Bev Esslinger argued areas without LRT should be considered before extensions.

“I’m hoping with the LRT and the Yellowhead Trail redesign, there are some synergies and we can get (a bridge) across the rail line,” said Esslinger. Bus rapid transit “would be a great idea,” she said, suggesting bus rapid transit could go in even before the west gets LRT if council is reassessing priorities.

“Right now, taking a bus from one of my neighbourhoods to the university is an hour,” she added, saying she’ll continue to push for this when the transit strategy and bus route redesign comes back in July.