Calgarians invited to 17 Avenue S.E. Transitway information sessions this week
Residents and businesses along Calgary’s International Avenue will soon benefit from faster, more reliable and frequent transit service. The 17 Avenue Southeast Transitway project, which will include bus-only lanes from 26 street S.E. to Hubalta Road, is one of many infrastructure projects launching in Calgary in 2016.
Currently, the project team is consulting and working closely with local businesses, property owners and residents in an effort to minimize construction and project impacts. Calgarians are invited to drop in at ArtBOX located at 1807 42 Avenue S.E. this week to learn more about the 17 Avenue S.E. Transitway project. Project staff will be on hand to answer any questions citizens may have about the project. The drop-in sessions are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. this week through Friday, December 11.
Howard Kai, a senior transportation engineer with The City of Calgary, says the project is an important part of The City’s goal to improve transit service. “It’s really about providing Calgarians with improved travel options,” says Kai. “People are more likely to choose public transit over their cars if they know it’s reliable and provides consistent service. More people taking transit means a reduction in cars on the road and, hopefully, less congestion, less traffic and less time spent on the road.”
International Avenue Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) is pleased that the long awaited improvements will be realized. State of the art urban design and street amenities will enhance the area while creating a multimodal boulevard that will allow cyclists, pedestrians, transit users and automobile traffic to travel along the corridor safely and effectively. The BRZ has been working closely with the Transitway project team to create the best street possible for merchants and residents.
BRZ President Michael Shymka says, “This has been a long time coming, our organization and businesses have put a decade into ensuring this happens. We want to thank the Mayor and City Council for stepping up to the plate as we believe this will be a home run for the area.”
The 17 Avenue S.E. Transitway will revitalize the area with improved road infrastructure, increased street lighting, enhanced pedestrian and cyclist facilities and an overall improved commuter experience. It will include bus only lanes from 26 Street S.E. to Hubalta Road, and will breathe new life into the 17 Avenue S.E. corridor, one of the most historic and culturally diverse areas in Calgary. Approved plans include the Transitway running through the center of 17 Avenue S.E. and BRT stations with heated waiting facilities.
Construction is expected to start in summer 2016 with completion by late 2018. Future phases of this project, which are currently unfunded, will include extending the Transitway east past Stoney Trail and west to downtown. For more information about the 17 Avenue S.E. Transitway project, visit Calgary.ca/17aveSET or contact 311.
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