Keeping Calgarians on the move: 20 projects in 2020

In 2020, The City continues its commitment to planning, building and maintaining safe and efficient transportation options for all Calgarians and investing in our economic recovery to make life better every day for citizens, communities and businesses.

“We’re excited for the work ahead. We are investing more than $250 million in projects designed to improve mobility, safety and accessibility to the transportation network across the city. A new project highlighting that is the Airport Trail interchanges – a project delivered in partnership with the Calgary Airport Authority which improves access and business operations in and around the Calgary International Airport,” says Director of Transportation Infrastructure Kerensa Swanson Fromherz.

Infrastructure planning and investment continues to be a high priority for Calgarians as shown in the 2019 Citizen Satisfaction Survey and is a key driver for economic recovery. The City is using its resources to support the continued recovery and diversification of Calgary’s economy and build the foundation of a great future. Our goals are to help create jobs and support new opportunities for investment, expansion, job growth and retention while delivering long-term value and affordability for all Calgarians.

“We’re building on our work from 2019, improving mobility choices for Calgarians with the continuation of the shared electric scooter pilot and an update of our Carsharing Policy. As Calgary continues to recover and grow, we want to ensure our transportation network is designed to grow with it,” says Ryan Vanderputten, Director of Transportation Planning.

Here are 20 projects this year keeping Calgarians on the move:

1. Shared electric scooter pilot - If you were missing scooting around to travel to your favourite restaurant, expect to see shared electric scooters (e-scooters) back on the streets in the first week of April (weather permitting) with a few changes to the pilot to help increase public safety.

“One of the benefits of running a pilot project is that we have some flexibility,” says Andrew Sedor, Transportation Planning Strategist. “Calgarians provided feedback about e-scooters last year and as a result, we are making some changes to see if we can address some of the most common concerns.” More details on what these changes are will be available soon on Calgary.ca/scootershare.

2. The Future of 16 Avenue N.W. - This project combines planning and public engagement for two projects - the 16 Avenue N.W. Corridor Study (Sarcee Trail to Crowchild Trail) and the 16 Avenue N.W. Main Street project addressing current and future challenges to how people and goods move through the corridor. The Main Street Streetscape plan in Montgomery focuses on fostering a vibrant business environment and creating a unique identity that reflects the character of the community.

“With Transportation Planning and Main Streets working together, we’re able to focus on both mobility and placemaking to better serve the interests of the communities in the study area,’ says Madhuri Seera, Senior Transportation Engineer. To learn more about the project, visit Calgary.ca/futureof16AvenueNW.

3. Banff Trail Area Improvements - Multiple projects are being consolidated to provide better value for Calgarians. “We’re combining four adjacent projects that have funding, reducing multiple and consecutive disruptions to Calgarians who would otherwise be inconvenienced by repeated construction projects taking place back-to-back over the next few years” says Kyle Hucik, Senior Transportation Engineer.

“This work will improve connections and mobility in the area, and we’ve coordinated it in such a way that our crews will come in and do everything all at the same time.” Construction is set to begin this spring. Learn more at Calgary.ca/BanffTrailAreaImprovements.

4. 42 Avenue S.E. Complete Streets - When thinking of up-and-coming spots in Calgary, 42 Ave. S.E. should be on your list. Located in a primarily industrial area, 42 Ave. is a unique stretch that connects to important destinations such as the Calgary Food Bank and Stanley Park, recently becoming home to a number of local businesses, including 10 craft breweries in a 7 km stretch.

“The 42 Avenue area has seen a lot of change in the types of businesses and services it has to offer,” says Transportation Engineer Ali Zaidi. “These improvements will help to fill a gap and make the area more inclusive, better connected and more accessible for people that take transit, walk or wheel.” Construction is set to begin this spring. Learn more at Calgary.ca/42Ave.

5. 5 Street S.W. Underpass Enhancements - Located between 9 Avenue and 10 Avenue S.W., the goal of this project is to provide a safe, comfortable and attractive public space while encouraging increased pedestrian and cyclist movement between the Beltline and downtown Calgary.

“We’re focused on improving the environment for people walking and for cyclists by building a safe, well-lit underpass that connects our downtown neighbourhoods,” said Senior Transportation Engineer Colin Chapman. This project is part of the broader Centre City Underpass Enhancement Program, which aims to improve downtown connections and includes enhancing existing underpasses. Learn more at Calgary.ca/5stunderpass.

6. Airport Trail Interchanges - This project will see the construction of two interchanges on Airport Trail – at 19 Street N.E. and Barlow Trail, improving access for movement of goods, services and people to and from YYC Calgary International Airport now and into the future.

“During construction, we encourage people who drive to add extra time traveling to and from YYC, and along Airport Trail,” said Senior Transportation Engineer Sig Undheim. “In association with YYC, we are looking forward to building these interchanges to help keep Calgarians moving as effectively as possible.” Learn more at Calgary.ca/airporttrail.

7. Carshare Parking Policy - With more than 140,000 members registered with our previous car sharing operator, carsharing is a popular service for Calgarians. Council recently approved changes to our Carshare Parking Policies including new parking rules and a revised fee structure for carshare operators. We are actively working with interested carshare companies and expect to see one or more start operating in 2020.

"Overall our policies are well set up to support carsharing in Calgary. Based on discussions with other cities and several carshare companies, we have identified several adjustments that ensure we are keeping up with best practices," says Eric MacNaughton, Senior Transportation Engineer. To learn more, visit Calgary.ca/carshare.

8. Main Streets - The City has developed streetscape master plans for Bowness (Montgomery) Road NW, 37 Street SW and 17 Avenue SW with each plan aimed at creating a vibrant destination, celebrating the character of the community, and encouraging diversity of businesses and buildings. Construction on these projects will start this spring.

   Montgomery (Bowness) Main Street - The Montgomery (Bowness) Main Streets project, between MacKay Road and 52 Street NW, will include a new road surface, multi-use pathway and wider sidewalks on both sides of Bowness Road as well as enhanced pedestrian crossings for safety along Bowness Road NW. There will also be intersection improvements, new street lighting, and better access to transit stops. Learn more at Calgary.ca/montgomerymainstreet.

    17 Avenue Main Street - The 17 Avenue Main Streets project, between 37 Street SW and Richmond Road SW, will include upgrading underground utilities on 17 Avenue between 29 and 26 Street SW, and on 26 Street between 17 Avenue and Bow Trail. There will also be a number of intersection improvements, traffic signal relocations and upgrades, and improved pedestrian crossings as well as maintenance work on the 17 Avenue Bridge over Crowchild Trail. Learn more at Calgary.ca/west17mainstreet.

    37 Street Main Street - Construction on 37 Street Main Streets project, between Bow Trail and Richmond Road SW, starts this spring and includes intersection improvements for pedestrian safety, a new road surface, multi-use pathway, wider sidewalks, and a boulevard space with trees and green amenities. Learn more at Calgary.ca/37streetmainstreet.

9. Eau Claire Public Realm - The City is investing in Eau Claire as part of our Downtown Strategy to create an active and lively cultural destination. Across multiple, connected projects, the goal is to improve connections in and out of Eau Claire; build on Eau Claire’s character to create great spaces to live, work, play and shop; and increase the resilience of our downtown through a new flood barrier. Some projects in the area will be constructed over the next two years, while others won’t be realized for several years.

“It’s important that we design and build each project to meet current needs and to lay the foundation for expected future demand as Calgary grows and evolves,” said Joyce Tang, Program Manager, Urban Initiatives. “Eau Claire’s public spaces are important to Calgarians and we want to make sure that we create safe, accessible and beautiful spaces that connect downtown, the river and beyond.” Learn more at Calgary.ca/eauclaire.

10. 9 Avenue S.E. Bridge Replacement - Since 1909, the 9 Ave. S.E. bridge has served as a gateway over the Elbow River between the communities of Inglewood & Ramsay, East Victoria Park, East Village and Calgary’s city centre. After 110 years of service, it’s time to bring the structure up to modern design and engineering standards, helping to connect people who walk, cycle and drive across its span for the next century.

Construction on the new bridge began in November 2019, following completion of a temporary bridge and removal of the old structure in fall 2019. “It’s exciting to see the progress that’s been made on bringing the new bridge to life,” says Manager of Bridges and Structures Evan Fer. “You’ll notice the structure really starting to take shape over the next few months, and we look forward to opening the bridge for citizens and visitors to enjoy this fall.” To learn more, visit Calgary.ca/9Ave.

11. Neighbourhood Streets Program - As communities grow and change, a new Neighbourhood Streets Policy is being launched to replace the 2003 Traffic Calming policy. The updated policy includes many of the current tools to influence on-street travel behaviour but is being updated to create a more inclusive and user-friendly intake process to ensure equitable investment across communities.

Starting with the North Hill Local Area Plan, Transportation will begin work within the new policy and implement quick wins by installing temporary materials to address missing links and traffic issues for people walking and wheeling in the area. “The new policy recognizes that The City works with communities in many ways beyond just traffic calming to enhance residential streets for moving, spending time and meeting neighbours. Our full range of toolkits involves residents and partners through block parties, paint the pavement or street murals, and adaptive sidewalks. Together, we can build healthier more liveable neighbourhoods” says Jen Malzer, Transportation Engineer. Learn more and provide your input at Calgary.ca/NeighbourhoodStreets.

12. Green Line - Work to prepare Green Line south of the Elbow River (Segment 1) for LRT construction continues into 2020. Subject to Council’s April decision for the entire Stage 1 alignment from 16 Avenue N to 126 Avenue S, the RFP for Segment 1 construction is expected to go to market in 2020, with construction expected to start in 2021. Learn more at Calgary.ca/greenline.

13. Paving Programs - The City’s Annual Pavement Rehabilitation Program is more than $30 million of annual investment to maintain our road and sidewalk infrastructure in good and safe operating condition, using both City and private contractors to complete the work.

“Our life cycle paving program is less costly than full road reconstruction and allows Calgary’s roads and sidewalks to be improved, returning them to like-new condition,” says Barry Poon, Manager of Roads Construction.

The surface overlay program is completed by City forces Paving crews, who work through the summer months restoring and improving Calgary streets and sidewalks to help citizens move around safely and efficiently. Learn more at Calgary.ca/paving.

14. New Traffic Management Centre (TMC) technologies - An upgraded Traffic Management Centre (TMC) is set to launch in the summer of 2020 replacing the original system from 1995. As part of this project, staff and industry experts have begun to integrate various new technologies to receive and disseminate traffic data to serve the mobility needs of citizens and businesses.

“We have integrated a direct feed from the 911 Computer Aided Dispatch to receive traffic incident information immediately,” says Ravi Seera, Manager of Traffic. “We have also integrated crowd-sourcing data into our traffic system so real-time information is leveraged to improve system performance.” To learn more, visit the project page.

15. 16 Avenue North Connected Vehicle Project - Beginning in 2020, we will be installing Connected Vehicle equipment at 12 intersections along 16 Avenue North and in several City emergency vehicles allowing the intersections and connected vehicles to “digitally talk” to each other. Once tested and adopted, these devices will be able to communicate between vehicles, braking technology and smart devices. “Messages could include information that a light is turning red or warnings that a vehicle (equipped with the technology) is quickly approaching the intersection at a high-rate of speed,” says Jodie Marcyniuk, Traffic Engineer.

As car manufacturers begin installing this type of equipment as a standard feature on vehicles, we hope to offer applications that will be beneficial for all mobility users. To learn more, visit the project page.

16. My Fare: Calgary Transit’s new mobile payment app - Calgary Transit is always looking for ways to provide excellent customer service, meeting customer needs now and into the future. This year we are introducing a mobile app that will provide customers additional convenience in buying and displaying their transit fares, making it easier to get around our city.

“We’re excited for the launch of My Fare and we’ve heard from our customers that they are, too. We know our customers come from many different places and use transit in many different ways, so we are thrilled to offer them different options for making their way through the city,” says IT Manager Mashhood Qazi. To learn more, visit Calgarytransit.com/MyFare.

17. Crowchild Trail Upgrades – Upgrades to Crowchild Trail kicked off in October 2017 and will wrap up by the end of this summer. This $87 million project is adding lanes for drivers, rearranging off-ramps, and improving surrounding roads and pathways while more than 100,000 vehicles per day continue travelling along this major arterial road.

“Keeping Calgarians moving along Crowchild Trail has been a priority because commuters, businesses and emergency services all rely on using this road 24/7,” said Jeff Baird, Senior Transportation Engineer. “This year, we’re in the process of completing the work on the bridge over the river, rehabilitating adjacent bridges, and polishing things off with final landscaping and paving. We’re all looking forward to the finished product.”

Once completed, Crowchild Trail will manage traffic better and improve connections for both drivers and pathway users in the area. To learn more, visit Calgary.ca/crowchild.

18. Calgary Ring Road construction - In 2020 Alberta Transportation will continue the construction of the Southwest Calgary Ring Road and the West Calgary Ring Road. Construction on two Ring Road integration projects will be completed by The City in 2020:

• Glenmore Trail widening and interchange upgrade – top-lift paving and landscaping
• Bow Trail widening and intersection improvements – intersection work and landscaping

The north side of Calgary has experienced significant population and traffic growth over the last few years. We have allocated funding to construct a number of interchanges along Stoney Trail North. The first to move forward on construction is the new interchange at Stoney Trail and 14 Street N.W. The other interchange projects are in the planning process and include Stoney Trail/Shaganappi Trail N.W., Stoney Trail/Centre Street N., and Stoney Trail/11 Street N.E. Learn more at Calgary.ca/StoneyNinterchanges.

19. MAX Yellow (Southwest BRT) - Crews will be back in the spring of 2020 to complete landscaping work, as well as some asphalt and concrete work along the route, resurfacing 14 Street lanes from 75 Avenue to Southland Drive, and overall site clean-up.

To learn more visit Calgary.ca/swbrt.

20. Glenmore Trail/68 Street S.E. Intersection Improvements - In partnership with Point Trotter and Dufferin North Industrial areas south of Glenmore Trail and proposed development north of Glenmore Trail, this project will see the full development of the north leg of the intersection and improve 68 Street S.E. to and from the south.

“The reconstruction of this intersection will improve access for existing nearby industrial development and open up new industrial development opportunities on private and municipally-owned lands within the Southeast 68 Street Industrial Area Structure Plan,” said Senior Transportation Engineer Nik Danilov. To learn more visit Calgary.ca/glenmore68st.