New traffic calming device invented right here at The City of Calgary

Creating safe streets for Calgarians to walk, bike and drive on is a top priority at The City of Calgary. The traffic calming program is meant to address existing and measurable traffic problems in a community. Community traffic studies are conducted to determine what traffic management measures can be taken to encourage safe driving by slowing down the speed of motorists.

Senior Traffic Safety Engineer
 Tony Churchill

All too often though, Senior Traffic Safety Engineer, Tony Churchill was getting requests for traffic calming in communities across the city that he was unable to fulfill for a variety of reasons including cost.

“There are a lot of traffic calming measures such as curb extensions, small roundabouts and median islands that become quite cost-prohibitive due to pavement work, drainage issues and underground utilities,” Churchill said.

So, Tony decided to come up with a solution. He looked at the geometry of many common traffic calming measures and developed an oval shaped, low profile concrete unit that could be placed in a variety of ways to create the same results of other, more expensive, traffic calming measures.

These new traffic calming curbs are a cost-effective method that can be used to quickly address traffic calming issues.

“The goal of the traffic calming curbs is to change the geometry of the road in a way that feels safer and also results in fewer collisions resulting in injury or fatality for all of Calgary’s road users,” Churchill said.

Traffic Calming Curbs being installed on
Child Avenue N.E. in Bridgeland.

The curbs will be used to provide temporary traffic calming measures in communities where permanent solutions have not been budgeted for. They have been designed to withstand exposure to the elements and snow and ice control materials like salt and gravel and weigh over 1,700 pounds to prevent them from moving. They are also made out of yellow cement to make them easier to see and more visually appealing.

The traffic calming curbs are currently being piloted for effectiveness. For now, The City will begin using them on roads with a 50 km/h speed limit where issues have already been identified and traffic calming is required but cannot be immediately installed due to budget or other construction constraints. Once the pilot for the curbs has been completed and standards for their use have been determined there may be more opportunity for citizens to request them in their communities.

For more information on The City’s traffic calming program visit Calgary.ca.

Big changes coming to Kensington

With the weather getting nicer every day we’re looking forward to the spring and summer seasons. And this year, we’re into Kensington!

This year we're into Kensington! Sidewalk construction starts April 4.

The City of Calgary, in partnership with the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), will be completing work on improvements to Kensington’s public realm this year. The project will replace ageing infrastructure on 10 Street N.W. between Memorial Drive and 5 Avenue N.W. and Kensington Road between 10 Street N.W. and 14 Street N.W. Last year work started on the east side of 10 Street N.W. between 2 Avenue N.W. and 4 Avenue N.W. when new sidewalks were constructed.

Improvements in Kensington will include new sidewalks, trees, streetlights and street furniture for safer mobility for all users of Kensington’s public realm.

“We all know Kensington as a great community and at The City we’re committed to keeping it that way by improving safety and mobility and creating more livable streets,” said City of Calgary project manager Erin Ward.

The City will be installing new energy efficient streetlights and pedestrian lights to the area so Calgarians can safely enjoy Kensington after the sun goes down.

Additionally, broken interlocking paving stones on 10 Street N.W. and Kensington Road will be replaced with new concrete sidewalks to eliminate trip hazards and brand new trees will replace old or dying ones. New litter receptacles, bike racks and benches will also be added to the neighbourhood.

“With over 270 shops and services in Kensington, pedestrian traffic is important for a thriving business community. The work being done during this project will improve the experience of visitors to Kensington,”said Annie McInnis, executive director of the Kensington BRZ. “This project will allow a century old community to maintain its vibrancy for years to come.”

Temporary sidewalk and business access during
construction on 10 St N.W. in 2015

The City will be making every effort to ensure access to businesses will be maintained throughout
construction by building wooden boardwalks through construction areas shoppers can use to enter businesses.

A detailed construction schedule will be available online at calgary.ca/kensington. Construction will begin this week and is expected to be ongoing through October, but as with all construction projects the timeline for completion is weather dependent.

For more information on this project visit calgary.ca/kensington or contact 311.

New car2go microstalls coming to Calgary

Starting tomorrow, Calgarians will see some innovative new parking stalls pop up in and around Calgary’s downtown core. In total, 150 car2go microstalls will be made available to the car-sharing company’s members in 2016.

The spots will be located mostly in the downtown core and the Beltline and can be found on certain street corners and other curb space where a regular sized car would not fit. Installation for these stalls begins Friday, January 22 and will be officially rolled out over the next few months.

The City’s Traffic division conducted safety reviews at each microstall location to ensure that all traffic engineering and safety standards were met before the installation of each stall. The height and width of car2go smart cars allows motorists to still see oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

“Over 2015, we explored solutions to create hundreds of additional parking spots downtown, including such measures as angled parking, off-peak parking and designated stalls for small car-share vehicles,” Traffic engineer, Yeats Wong said. “Our goal is to optimize the space we have to provide Calgarians with more on-street parking options in the core.”

Car-sharing helps reduce the strain on Calgary’s parking infrastructure. The shared vehicles are small and eco-friendly and reduce the number of individual, full-sized vehicles in the core. The goal for this pilot project is to open up more spots for regular-sized cars by providing space specifically for car2go smart cars where regular sized cars won’t fit.

After working with car2go and the Calgary Parking Authority, a parking agreement between car2go and The City was finalized late last year.  Only registered microcars with a valid permit are allowed to use the new microstalls. So far, only two-door car2go vehicles have been issued these permits. However, this doesn’t mean that car2go users can only park in these new microstalls. They are encouraged to use them if they are available but will still be allowed to park in areas where on-street parking is legal.

“At The City we’re always looking at new, innovative solutions to make it easier for Calgarians to get around,” Wong said. “Data collected from this pilot will provide us with more information for future car-share and commercial parking policies.”

Lines for these stalls were painted last year. Once signage has been installed at a microstall location, two-door car2go vehicles will be able to park on-street in these microstalls.

5 Avenue S.W. to be converted to two-way street

After a successful trial of the 5 Avenue lane reversal downtown, The City is moving forward with phase two of the project – converting 5 Avenue S.W. between 5 Street S.W. and the west-end into a two-way street.

Proposed extension of the 5 Avenue lane reversal is marked in blue.

On May 19, 2015 The City of Calgary implemented a trial lane reversal system on 5 Avenue S.W. between 7 Street S.W. and the west-end of downtown.  This optimized the use of existing transportation infrastructure and aided outbound traffic flow from the downtown core during the afternoon peak period.

“Since May, the Transportation Department has monitored the 5 Avenue S.W. lane reversal,” said Ravi Seera, City of Calgary Traffic Manager. “Over time the lane reversal has shown increased use, providing Calgarians with another option for travelling west out of downtown.”

Traffic counts conducted in late September show over 840 vehicles used the reversed lanes between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., including almost 470 vehicles during the 4:20 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. peak hour. This one-hour traffic volume represents over 60 per cent of the capacity of the lane reversal.

To further optimize the use of 5 Avenue S.W., the Transportation Department is implementing the following changes to the operation of 5 Avenue S
.W. on a trial basis beginning, Thursday, October 15:

• 5 Avenue S.W. between 5 Street S.W. and the west-end of downtown will be converted to a two-way street at all times except during the morning peak period (6 to 9 a.m.) on weekdays.
• Motorists will be required to park facing westbound, on the north side of 5 Avenue S.W. between 5 Street S.W. and 10 Street S.W. at all times.
• Morning and afternoon peak period parking restrictions will apply. Please obey all posted parking signs.

“During the lane reversal trial we heard from citizens that a two block extension would make westbound travel on 5 Avenue more convenient,” Seera said. “Allowing two-way traffic operations for most of the day will improve congestion and provide better traffic circulation in the area using the city’s existing infrastructure.”

The two-way conversion will be in place for approximately six months as a pilot, after which time its success will be evaluated and next steps will be considered.  During the pilot, temporary traffic barricades and other control devices will be used, similarly to the operation of the current lane reversal.

For more information visit Calgary.ca/5Ave.

City to replace school zones with playground zones

Starting this week, The City of Calgary will be making all school zones into playground zones to help increase safety for children as they head back to school.

“By getting rid of school zones and setting straight forward and consistent playground zone hours, we will enhance safety for both pedestrians and motorists,” says Ravi Seera, Manager, Traffic.

School zones are only in effect on school days, whereas playground zones are in effect every day, year-round. With the introduction of year-round schools in Calgary in recent years, it became less clear to drivers when they needed to obey the signs.

“There will no longer be any question as to when you need to slow down. Playground zones are in effect every day year-round,” added Seera.

Last year, Council allocated $545,000 to transition school zones to playground zones in 2015 to benefit year-round extended hours.  Both school zones and playground zones currently are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., so there will be no change in the time.

Calgary has approximately 180 school zones and 1,510 playground zones. Crews will out replacing the school zone signs throughout the fall and expect to have the work done by the end of October.

While designated playground zones are an important part of keeping children safe, safety on Calgary roads is a shared responsibility. Replacing school zones with playground zones is just one tool in a much larger plan to improve safety in areas where we see higher volumes of pedestrians.

For more information about this project, visit Calgary.ca/roads.

Thank you for helping us to keep Calgary safe!

City’s Spring Clean-up program completed ahead of schedule

This year’s Spring Clean-up program is completed, which puts the program approximately two weeks ahead of schedule.

Normally, street sweeping runs from mid to late April until the first week of July. However, thanks to mild weather and little rain or snow in March crews were able to get a jump start on sweeping activities.

“Mild weather wasn’t the only reason we were able to finish Spring Clean-up ahead of schedule,” said Roads Maintenance manager, Bill Biensch. “The dedication of our sweeping crews and Calgarians cooperation in removing cars and blue, black and green carts from city streets were also contributing factors to our early finish."

This year City crews picked up over 37,000 tons of winter sanding materials, dirt and other debris from Calgary’s roads in just nine and a half weeks.

Spring Clean-up improves safety and mobility in Calgary by removing sanding materials and other debris that have accumulated on roads and along major sidewalks and boulevards during the winter. The program also helps protect the environment by ensuring less material enters our river system.

Now that Spring Clean-up has been completed crews can now focus their efforts on summer maintenance programs including pothole repairs, boulevard maintenance, and gravel lane repair.

Although the Spring Clean-up program has finished, ongoing road maintenance and sweeping will continue throughout summer months.

To find out more about other City of Calgary Roads Maintenance programs, visit calgary.ca/roads or contact 311.

Winter survey results show Calgarians appreciate the level of Snow and Ice Control service provided

Every two years, Roads conducts a survey to examine opinions about its Snow and Ice Control (SNIC) services. In February 2015, another wave of the survey was conducted by HarGroup Management Consultants Inc. by telephone (both landline and cell phones) with 803 respondents.

The results from the 2015 Snow and Ice Control Program Citizens’ Survey found that a significant majority of Calgarians (88%) are satisfied with travel conditions due to snow and ice control services when driving or in a vehicle on Calgary roads.

“Roads Maintenance staff are committed to providing excellent Snow and Ice Control services for Calgarians,” said Bill Biensch, Manager, Roads Maintenace. “The bi-annual winter road conditions survey is important in helping us understand how citizens view our service level so we can make adjustments if need be.”

Half of respondents (51%) stated satisfaction with snow clearing on residential roads, while half felt it could be improved. Biensch said he is not surprised by the results as The City’s residential snow clearing policy is to flat-blade snow to a hard pack to reduce rutting; it does not include snow removal.

“Our residential snow clearing policy is meant to provide some Snow and Ice Control on residential roads while maintaining fiscal responsibility and minimizing the impact of windrows,” Biensch said, adding that despite mild temperatures this winter, conditions were actually typical of most winters in Calgary and that resulted in similar survey results as previous years.

“This winter’s snowfall accumulation was 140 cm this winter compared to 179 cm in 2013/2014, which was higher than normal,” he added.

Other key survey findings include:

• Approximately eight in 10 respondents (78%) stated that travel time during morning rush hour after winter snow storms is very or somewhat reasonable. 
• A significant majority of respondents (89%) stated they were satisfied with The City’s efforts to inform citizens about travel conditions and those who stated very satisfied is significantly higher than previous survey waves. As well, the vast majority of respondents who use sources offered by The City of Calgary stated the information was very or somewhat helpful. 
• Almost three-quarters of respondents were satisfied with the timing of traffic signals when snow events occur (74%). 
• Approximately six in ten respondents were satisfied with travel conditions on bike lanes (63%) and cycle tracks (62%). 

For more information on The City’s Snow and Ice Control program and to see the full survey results visit Calgary.ca.

The slower you go, the more time you both have.

To kick-off two weeks of traffic safety education, The City of Calgary is celebrating both the UN Global Road Safety Week  (May 4 to 10) and National Road Safety Week (May 12 to 18).

 

As the weather warms and more people are on the roads, including more children and pedestrians; The City of Calgary is reminding motorists to slow down and watch for children, especially near schools and playground zones. 

 

Follow these tips to increase safety while driving or walking.

 

Tips for motorists

• Stop for all pedestrians crossing in a crosswalk – it's the law.
• Ensure proper visibility of your vehicle. Make sure your windshield and headlights are clean and don't obstruct your view.
• Drive at a safe speed and be aware of pedestrian activity around you.
• Never pass a vehicle at a crosswalk.
• Wait until the pedestrian has completely cleared the intersection before proceeding.
• Make eye contact.
• When turning left at an intersection, check to your left to make sure there are no pedestrians.
• Don't park within five metres of a marked crosswalk or intersection to maintain clear visibility.
• When turning right, check both ways to ensure there are no pedestrians nearby.

Tips for pedestrians

• Ensure you are crossing the street safely.
• Use the Point, Pause and Proceed method to make motorists aware you are trying to cross the street.
• Wear light-coloured clothing and reflective devices so you are visible to motorists.
• Never jaywalk between intersections or against a signal.
• Understand and follow signals.
• Research indicates that children under the age of nine should always be accompanied by a responsible adult or elder.

Follow @yyctransportation for more tips to keep you safe on Calgary streets this spring.

Spring Clean-up coming to a neighbourhood near you

Spring is in the air and that means The City’s Spring Clean-up program is coming to a neighbourhood near you. This year street sweeping officially begins Monday, April 13.

Due to warm weather in March crews were able to complete more pre-sweeping than normal. During pre-sweeping, or winter sweeping, crews gave priority to clearing high traffic volume streets where parking ban compliance has been low in years past.

Street sweeping improves safety and mobility for Calgary motorists, cyclists and pedestrians by removing sanding materials and other debris that has accumulated on roads and along major sidewalks and boulevards during the winter.

Move cars and blue, black and green carts from the road
when these signs are in your area.

Keeping Calgary clean is a collaborative effort. We are asking all Calgarians to help make the city beautiful by removing cars and blue, black and green carts from city roads when you see street sweeping signs in your community. If street sweeping and garbage collection in your neighbourhood fall on the same day, simply move blue, black and green carts onto the curb.

If gravel, dust and other debris is left behind because a car has not been moved you can sweep up the debris yourself by following these steps:

• If gravel, dust and other debris is left behind because a car has not been moved you can sweep up the debris yourself by following these steps:
• When cleaning up gravel, dust, rocks and other debris put all materials into a garbage bag and double bag it. This will help keep the air free of dust and keep garbage collection vehicles clean as well.
• Rocks and other material may be heavy and need to be double-bagged to avoid punctures and rips in the bags.
• For your garbage collector’s safety, make sure your bags are not overweight (less than 20 kg) and place all debris inside your black cart for removal.

Typically Spring Clean-up lasts until the end of June, wrapping up just in time for the Calgary Stampede.

Find more information on Spring Clean-up including when street sweeping is scheduled in your community visit Calgary.ca/sweep.

More Recognition for Calgary’s Airport Trail Tunnel

Project team members at 2015 Consulting Engineers of Alberta Showcase Awards Program

TheAirport Trail Tunnel under the new runway at the Calgary International Airport continues to receive awards and recognition.

The most recent honour The City has received is the 2015 Award in Excellence in Project Management from the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA). Comments from the CEA judges reveal why the Airport Trail Tunnel continues to be recognized: “The complexity of managing and delivering the project on time and budget is impressive, particularly with the need to sequence the project with the building of the runway.”

Other honours for the Tunnel include the 2013 top project award in the Civil category (over $50 million) from Alberta Construction magazine, 2013 Award of Excellence from the American Concrete Institute (Alberta Chapter), and a finalist for Project of the Year at the Project Management Institute (Southern Alberta Chapter).

East end of Calgary's Airport Trail Tunnel

The City opened the 620-metre Airport Trail Tunnel to traffic on May 25, 2014. The tunnel extends Airport Trail from Barlow Trail to 36 Street N.E. as a six-lane roadway, and also included widening Airport Trail between Deerfoot Trail and Barlow Trail from four to six lanes.

  

The tunnel helps support economic development in the city by allowing for the efficient movement of workers and goods to and from the Airport. The most recent traffic counts show that 13,000 vehicles go through the tunnel each day.

Roads crews plow ahead in nice weather

In terms of weather, 2015 has been very good to Calgary with an above average winter. We’ve had warmer temperatures and fewer snowfalls than the winter of 2013-2014. With all this sunshine and warm weather, some of you may be wondering what City Roads crews are doing.

While Calgarians are getting a break from the harsh winters we occasionally experience, City crews are still hard at work. In place of plowing, salting and shovelling snow, crews are performing more seasonal duties, like filling potholes, debris and litter pick-up and prepping for SpringClean-up by doing some winter street sweeping.

“We’re taking advantage of above seasonal temperatures and working proactively to keep city streets well maintained before spring hits by cleaning up gravel ahead of schedule,” said Roads Maintenance Manager Bill Biensch. “There are many benefits to being able to pick up left over gravel throughout the winter months.”

Street sweeping early helps keep gravel off the road which provides extra safety at intersections and for cyclists. Winter street sweeping is also good for the environment by preventing any gravel and road salts from flowing into catch basins.

Crews are also still responding to 311 service requests for Snow and Ice Control as roads tend to ice up due to low overnight temperatures.

For more information on The City’s Snow and Ice Control program visit Calgary.ca/snow.

1 Street S.W. underpass enhancements begin

Artist’s rendering of design of new look walkway

 January 26 will see the start of construction on enhancements to the 1 Street S.W. underpass to provide greater safety and comfort for users of the underpass pedestrian walkways.

A number of safety and comfort issues were identified at the underpass including poor lighting, water drainage problems, uneven sidewalks and general deterioration of the underpass structure. Through a collaborative design process, enhancements were developed for both the underpass structure and the pedestrian environment extending from 9 to 10 Avenue S.W., including improved lighting, new sidewalks and guardrails, integrated art and wayfinding elements, water mitigation and painting of retaining walls and structure beams.

“The 1 Street S.W. underpass enhancement project is part of a broader underpass improvement program being implemented by The City to improve the pedestrian environment and underpass connections between the Beltline and downtown communities,” said Graham Gerylo, Centre City Implementation Project Manager. “The 1 Street S.W. underpass was prioritized for enhancement because it has the highest pedestrian use of all Centre City underpasses (9,500 pedestrians per day), was identified by community stakeholders as an important gateway connection, and in recognition of its significance as a heritage structure.”

The budget for this project is $3.8 million and it’s anticipated that the enhancements will be completed by the summer of 2015.

“Calgary Downtown Association is very excited about seeing improvements to the various underpasses in the centre city, starting with 1 Street,” said Maggie Schofield, Executive Director of Calgary Downtown Association. “Underpass improvements are extremely worthwhile investments toward a safer, more inviting space that we are pleased to support, both as a stakeholder, and financially.”

1 Street SW underpass from 9 Avenue

“This has been a great collaborative effort involving many groups and organizations in working towards the enhancement of a very well-used pedestrian corridor and important connector to downtown.”

This project will result in some underpass pedestrian and road restrictions and closures. Starting Sunday, January 25, the west side pedestrian walkway of the 1 Street S.W. underpass will be closed between 9 Avenue and 10 Avenue until the enhancements on the west side are completed. During this time, pedestrians will need to use the east side pedestrian walkway. One lane of southbound vehicle traffic will also be closed during construction on the west side.

When the enhancements on the west side are completed and it is opened to the public, the east side pedestrian walkway (as well as one lane of southbound vehicle traffic) will be closed until those enhancements are finished.

For more details about the project, go to calgary.ca/1stunderpass.

What to do about those windrows

What is a windrow?

Fortunately, this winter Calgary hasn’t seen too many snowfalls. However, we have been hearing some concerns about the snow that is there and want to address them.

According to The City’s Snow and Ice Control Policy, crews are mandated to maintain the driving lane on residential streets to a safe, reasonable winter driving condition. Crews do this by “flat-blading,” turning the blade under a sander downward to flatten the snow to a hard pack so it is easier to drive on.

While this is good for motorists, the snow left over after crews have flat-bladed, can create some extra work for property owners. The reason is because flat-blading causes a continuous a build up of snow along the side of a roadway, also known a  windrow that can be difficult to remove, especially if left too long.

There is a windrow in front of my driveway, who’s clearing it?

The clearing of windrows in front of driveways left by snow plowing equipment is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner, much like sidewalk shovelling. Plow operators make every attempt to keep driveways clear or keep windrows as small as possible, but any spillage that does occur is the responsibility of the property owner.

What does The City do about windrows?

City forces do their best to keep windrows small by evenly distributing the snow on either side of the road, however, after heavy snowfalls windrows can build up. If a windrow is taller than 30 centimetres and impeding a resident’s ability to enter their driveway a crew can come by and assess the windrow and remove if required.

Citizens should contact 311 if they have concerns about a windrow.

Visit calgary.ca/snow for more information on how The City clears snow.

Snow Angels program recognizes the angels among us

The Snow Angels program recognizes Calgarians who volunteer their time and energy to help neighbours with mobility challenges or busy schedules to clear the snow from their walkways.

Not only are Snow Angels helping their neighbours shovel snow; they're also helping to prevent passers by from slipping and falling in winter conditions.



Earn your wings by clearing snow and ice from your neighbours sidewalk. We also encourage Calgarians to nominate their Snow Angel to ensure they are recognized for their great contribution to our city.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

A compassionate and caring community values all backgrounds and abilities. In recognition and celebration of today’s 22nd annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), special guest speaker Chris Koch shared with The City his inspiring story of how he has overcome his physical challenges with courage, grace, and acceptance for himself.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Chris Koch

Koch became an internet sensation after a short documentary film called ‘Steep Your Soul’ featured him on Oprah Winfrey. A rancher and farmer in the Nanton area, he was born without arms or legs. But that hasn’t stopped him from doing anything.

From wakesurfing to downhill skiing to dune buggying and traveling, Koch’s If I can… approach to life is to be admired by all. After the Calgary flood of 2013, he raised funds for The Calgary Zoo by climbing the 802 steps of the Calgary Tower in less than half an hour.

“Chris’ presentation affirms the importance of the work we do at The City to find solutions to issues people with disabilities face daily,” says Leanne Squair, Issue Strategist with Community & Neighbourhood Services. “An inclusive society for all means our buildings, programs and services can be accessed by everyone; and that is our goal.”

Accessibility Highlights

The City of Calgary’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility (ACA) and two sub-committees, Access Design and Accessible Transportation, provide advice on important issues that impact the needs of people with disabilities, including building design, transportation and services.

A few of the programs and services offered by The City to help make services accessible to all include:

• TTY – Text for 311 services
• Text 911 services for deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or speech impaired persons
• Accessible transit and curbs
• Audible indications at traffic signals to help visually impaired pedestrians cross at signalized intersections
• Waste and recycling braille carts
• Home maintenance services
• Snow Angels
• Adaptive fitness and community recreation programs including adaptive equipment (wheelchair accessible pottery wheel, adapted golf cart, accessible weight room equipment, pool lifts, etc.)

Greenline Southeast Transitway time saving initiative

Construction has begun on the first of many transit time saving initiatives as part of the Greenline Southeast Transitway project.

This first initiative is an intersection improvement at Barlow Trail and 114 Avenue S.E. It will see the addition of a second left turn lane from northbound Barlow Trail to westbound 114 Avenue, and the lengthening of the existing eastbound right turn lane on 114 Avenue S.E. to allow for additional vehicle storage.

These changes will improve traffic flow through the intersection and thereby help to reduce bus travel time for the BRT Route 302 in the southeast, as well as for other buses and motorists.

The City’s analysis shows these changes could reduce overall delays at the intersection by up to 16 percent during the morning peak period.

Cllr. Shane Keating announcing start of construction
 on Greenline Southeast Transitway Initiative.

“I’m very excited about seeing construction underway on the first of these initiatives related to the Greenline Southeast Transitway,” said Councillor Shane Keating. “The impact of these efforts should become apparent to anyone riding the BRT Route 302 express bus between Seton and downtown by saving travel time.”

The anticipated completion of this intersection improvement is the end of October.

A number of locations have been identified where improvements could be made to reduce or mitigate current travel time delays for the BRT Route 302 and other buses along that route.

Additional initiatives are being planned for construction in 2015, including:

• widening 52 Street S.E. between 130 Avenue and Stoney Trail from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes
• relocating bus routes off Deerfoot Trail to access 114 Avenue S.E. using 40 Street S.E., plus adding a half-kilometre of new roadway
• widening 130 Avenue S.E. between 48 Street and 52 Street from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes
• constructing transit queue jumps and reprioritize signals and install signals at various locations.

For more information visit calgary.ca/setransitway

Anderson Station TOD redevelopment project takes its next steps

The City has recently submitted an Outline Plan and Land Use Application to redevelop the Anderson Station land site.

The land area consists of 20 acres, currently making up Anderson LRT station, bus terminal and park and ride. Future plans for the space include roads, parks, building specifications, and other desired land uses in the Anderson Station area.

Following several public engagement events and working in consultation with various City departments, the goal of this proposed plan is to establish a model transit and pedestrian-oriented destination in south Calgary where people can live, work, shop, learn and play.

The final vision is guided by a number of design principles, namely to:

• Maximize connectivity to and through the site to minimize traffic conflicts and increase transit access;
• Balance height and scale of development between residential areas to the west with commercial areas to the east;
• Build walkable streets that encourage multi-modal access, safety, and access to buildings;
• Pursue a blend of uses that keep the site active throughout the day and week, and serve the surrounding neighbourhoods;
• Create memorable public and green spaces;
• Provide for flexible development blocks that respond to change in market conditions;
• Design for year-round use and livability;
• Connect to and expand the regional pathway network; and
• Orient higher buildings towards MacLeod Trail to create an urban boulevard.

View the latest project summary and proposed concept images of the redeveloped area.

Following this submission and a review of any recommended changes, a final application will be presented at Calgary Planning Commission in early 2015.

For more information on the Anderson TOD development and the wider station area plan please visit Anderson Station TOD policies and plans and Calgary.ca/AndersonTOD

Related blogs

• Anderson Station transit oriented development reveals latest conceptual design - 2014 
• It's time to talk about the future of Anderson Station - 2013 

Towers, cables and deck panels are up at Sandy Beach and Rideau Park Bridge!

Sandy Beach deck panels in place and the large crane used to do the job. Photo courtesy The City of Calgary; photographer Wes Raymond.

Work is progressing quickly on the project to replace the three pedestrian bridges on the Elbow River damaged in the flood of 2013. The progress is most evident at Sandy Beach and Rideau Park Bridge where the towers are now up, cables have been strung and a giant crane has installed the deck panels. Crews are currently working on Riverdale Avenue Bridge with deck panel installation starting Tues., Sept. 30.

See tower and deck panel installation
Several online time lapse sequences of bridge piling, tower and deck panel installation bring the work that has been done to life. Visit www.calgary.ca/elbowbridges to view the time lapse sequences plus photos of construction progress and updated construction schedules.

“Although it looks like the bridges are done when the bridge decks are in place, there is still a lot of work to do before the bridges can be safely open for use,” says Project Manager Charmaine Buhler. “We need to fine tune the alignment of the deck panels, fabricate and install bridge railings, construct concrete back walls and approach slabs, and reconstruct the pathways that lead to the bridge.  There is also landscaping and general finishing work to be done.”

Buhler adds, “Everyone also needs to remember that the areas around all three bridges are construction zones and will remain so until the construction is done. However, the project is still on track to have all of the bridges open and ready for use by the end of December.”

Sifton Boulevard closure
Installing the deck panels at Riverdale Avenue Bridge requires the closure of Sifton Boulevard between 7 and 8 Streets S.W. The large crane used to install the deck panels must sit in the middle of the road. The closure will last from Sept. 29 until approximately Oct. 4.

New school and playground zone hours in effect September 1

School and playground zones are an important part of keeping children safe on city streets. Starting September 1, 2014, school and playground zone hours will be changed to one consistent time. Here are the facts.

School and playground zone hours are now the same. Slow down to 30km/h during these times:

Playground zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., all year around.
School zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., on school days only.

There are 180 school zones and 1510 playground zones in the city. Crews have been busy all month changing the times on almost 5,000 signs around Calgary.

Why the change?
Changing school and playground zone hours to one consistent time was a proactive measure to improve pedestrian safety.

The City talked to school boards, the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Motor Association, and other municipalities in Alberta about changing school and playground zone times.

Through these discussions, we heard the following:

• The “one hour after sunset” end time for playground zones was too open-ended. End times would vary from as early as 5 p.m. in winter, and as late as 11 p.m. in summer.  
• The unspecified end time made it difficult for drivers to consistently follow the rules. 
• Schools are regularly used in the evenings for extracurricular activities, such as community sports – the old times did not take after-hours use into account.

The new hours reflect the times that these areas are being used by children and other pedestrians, and provide drivers with consistent times that can be easily remembered.

How does this impact your commute?
The new school and playground zone times will have a minimal impact on your travel time. Most school and playground zones are 100-200 metres long. Slowing down to 30km/h in these areas will add approximately 4-10 seconds to your commute, but can increase a pedestrians chance of survival by 70 per cent.

Visit Calgary.ca for more information.

Thank you for helping us keep Calgary safe!

Celebrate the opening of Tuscany Station on Aug. 23

Head over to Tuscany this Saturday, Aug. 23 and celebrate the grand opening of Calgary’s newest CTrain station.

While regular service at Tuscany Station officially begins on Monday, Aug. 25, we’re extending an invitation to Calgarians to join us as the first train pulls in.

The festivities will run from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the south Park and Ride lot at Tuscany Station and we’ll have entertainment, food trucks and plenty of fun activities for all ages.
Below is the schedule of events:

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. FREE community bus shuttle service to the station every 15 minutes
• 9 a.m. to 12 noon FREE bus shuttle from Crowfoot Station to Tuscany Station running every 10 minutes
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food trucks, fun activities and entertainment for all ages
• 11:55 First train arrives at Tuscany Station driven by Mayor Naheed Nenshi from Crowfoot with invited guests
• 12 noon Official welcoming ceremony
• 12 noon to 5 p.m. FREE train service between Tuscany and Crowfoot Stations (fare is required to travel beyond Crowfoot)

* Regular existing bus service will also operate on Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24. There will be no train service to Tuscany Station on Sunday, Aug. 24.

For more information regarding Calgary Transit service to Tuscany Station visit calgarytransit.com, or for further background on the project, visit calgary.ca/nwlrt.