Baconfest 2018 taps into Calgary’s potential look and feel in the 21st century

Calgary’s own urban planning film festival returns for its fifth year, starting January 17, 2018. We sat down with Rollin Stanley, General Manager of Urban Planning, and got his take on why everyone should attend Baconfest 2018.

1. For those who might be unaware, what is Baconfest?

It’s a film festival meant to get people thinking about how they can be more involved in their city and bring about specific differences in Calgary. 

Each year we go deeper and deeper into challenges, issues and opportunities that cities are facing, predominantly in North America but, to some extent, around the world as well. The first year was about showcasing the films of Ed Bacon [renowned city planner and father of actor Kevin Bacon]. We highlighted those films to get people energized about the way cities have evolved. This year, we’re delving deeper into culture and our environment.

2. Why should citizens care about urban planning or a festival like Baconfest?

Don’t think about it as caring about planning, think about it as caring about what happens in your city. Think about it as caring about knowing how you can get involved, or be aware of the kinds of things that make cities work. 

We’re really looking to expand people’s minds and get them thinking about things that impact them directly. That’s why we chose the films we did. We’re showing a bee film this year. We have to encourage bee colonization, particularly here. That’s something that has to happen. The point is to get citizens thinking about what they can do every day. 

3. What do you hope that people will gain by attending?

There’s this family that comes every year. They bring their son – he’s asked some of the best questions! I think he’s 9. We gave citizens an opportunity to submit their own stories a year ago. We had a gentleman submit one who runs a soccer club here in the city. He immigrated to Calgary from Africa and we got a chance to look at what he’s doing to help kids in the suburbs get involved. We have citizens across all age and ethic spectrums. That’s not planning, that’s participating in the life of a city and that’s what we hope people will go away with. An eye for those kinds of opportunities to participate and the desire to do so.

4. What are the top three reasons someone should attend Baconfest?

Well, the top reason to attend is because attendees will get to enjoy some terrific bacon (yes, real bacon)!

And if that’s not enough, the second reason to mark your calendar is because joining us ensures you have a voice in the conversation about the future of Calgary and how we can all make a difference. 

And third, Baconfest is a great opportunity to get informed about emerging trends and challenges facing cities like ours. 

5. Anything you’d like to add, in closing?

The theme this year is about the future of the city. We’re looking at it through three lenses. Its form, its culture and the environment. Our goal is to show how these three factors have to come together to make sure that what happens as we grow, happens in harmony. We have become a destination city and that opens up new doors for us, new opportunities. We want to show people that they can think more broadly. If a fraction of the people who attend start patronizing restaurants on 17th Ave S.E. where they may never have been, we’ve achieved a really great thing. 

For more information on the film lineup and event details visit Calgary.ca/baconfest.

SAIT student community planning project on display in Municipal Hall atrium

Students in the architectural technology program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) investigated the potential of the residential - grade-oriented infill (R-CG) land use district for a capstone project in their final year.

These projects explored rowhouse developments on both corner and mid-block locations. The students each completed architectural plans for a single parcel. These plans were then rendered into three dimensional models using a 3D printer. The models were then arranged into a city block configuration to provide a sense of the potential mass and design of a rowhouse block referencing the R-CG rules.

Some architectural technology @sait students did their capstone project on the potential of the R-CG land use district & it’s on display in the Municipal Building until next Friday.

Thanks to the students & their instructor, Marc Bussiere, for sharing the models. #yycplan pic.twitter.com/1qbSvXEpsS

— City of Calgary (@cityofcalgary) December 15, 2017

The city block model based on the residential – grade-oriented infill (R-CG) land use district is on display in the atrium of the Municipal Building from December 14 to December 22, 2017.

The class based their designs on a sample block on 20 ave NW in the community of Capitol Hill. This location was chosen respecting community planning work that was completed in the Capitol Hill community to amend the North Hill Area Redevelopment Plan and subsequent city initiated land use amendment to the R-CG district.

Many thanks the students of the residential capstone project (ARCH 390) and their instructor, Marc Bussiere, for sharing these models.

City’s new planning Notices aim to hit the mark with citizens

Calgarians are often interested in learning more about applications to redesignate (rezone) a land use, or develop a site in their community. To inform Calgarians about these applications, The City of Calgary places a Notice (sign) on the property.

 A new Notice is being piloted this summer, and The City wants to know what citizens think about the new design. Last year alone, The City posted Notices for 1, 377 development permits and 436 land use redesignations.

New template for Notice Posting

“We want to build Calgary together. We can do this by helping citizens learn about an application, and encouraging them to get involved,” says Brandy MacInnis, senior special projects officer with The City’s Planning & Development department.

“Thanks to the input received last year, the Notices were improved and The City is seeking citizen input to ensure it is simple, informative and directs Calgarians to resources to learn more or get involved,” notes MacInnis.

A larger version of the notice is being piloted this summer and measures four feet by eight feet. These Notices may be used for large scale redesignation or development permit applications. In addition, a number of smaller Notices, measuring two feet by three feet, will be piloted in communities in Calgary.

A few changes made to the Notices include:

1. Plain language text that describes the proposed redesignation or development permit application.
2. Visual map that clearly identifies the property included in the proposed application.
3. Clear direction to resources to learn more or to get involved. 

“We want to validate these improvements with Calgarians, so we’re hoping they’ll take a quick and easy survey before September 15, to tell us what they think,” says MacInnis.

Calgarians are encouraged to take an online survey or provide comments at an upcoming Planning & Development event.

Take our quick five minute survey by visiting calgary.ca/noticeposting

Rundle 2.0: Planning for redevelopment at Rundle Station

The City is planning for development in the Rundle LRT station area to help Calgary grow in a more sustainable way. Redeveloping areas within a 10 minute walk of CTrain stations allows people to move around our city in a fast, affordable and convenient way. This type of development is commonly referred to in the urban planning world as Transit Oriented Development (TOD). TOD focuses on creating more complete communities that attract a broad range of housing choices and services to established communities, almost creating mini cities within the city itself.

The Rundle Station Area has excellent potential for TOD; there are large sites available for new buildings, there are existing amenities like schools and employment centres in place and there is housing in need of redevelopment. However, the area needs a policy plan and some improvements before TOD can really take off in the area.

In September 2016, The City launched the Rundle Station master planning process. A Master Plan is a document that guides future development in an area. The City is developing a Master Plan for Rundle to create a shared vision for the area and plan for future growth by identifying what improvements are needed and where new development should occur. The master planning process is the first step in planning for TOD by providing a full picture of what work is needed in an area in order to realize TOD.

These are early days for planning TOD in Rundle and there are other factors at play, like market demand, that determine when development could occur. Having said that, it’s never too early to start planning for the future and this is the opportunity we have in Rundle. Between fall 2016 and 2017, we have been working with community members, landowners and developers to shape a Master Plan for the area.

We will be coming back to the Rundle community on May 30, 2017 to share development concepts and potential public improvements to the area at an open house. Join us to learn what we’ve heard so far and understand how we are using public input, provide feedback on the draft vision and core ideas of the Master Plan and review the potential Rundle Station area improvement projects that have been identified.

Event details:
Date: May 30, 2017
Time: Drop-in any time between 5 and 8 p.m.
Location: Rundle Community Association, Upper Hall
2409 50th St N.E.

For more information on the Rundle Station Master Plan visit calgary.ca/rundle.

About the Author: Mike Davis is an Urban Planner with the City of Calgary. Mike’s career has focused heavily on urban redevelopment with experience in cities across Ontario and more recently here in Calgary.

"Complete Streets" improvements coming to Northmount Drive, Bowness Road and East Central this summer

Since 2015, The City has been working with communities to develop complete street improvement plans for several roads, including Northmount Drive N.W. and Bowness Road N.W. As part of a regular maintenance program, both roads are slated for repaving so The City used the opportunity to work with citizens and reconfigure the road space.

The City is also implementing a complete street project in the East Central area of the city, which include both pedestrian and bicycle enhancements.

Complete Streets is an approach to street design that strives to accommodate all modes of transportation including walking, cycling, transit and driving. 

Northmount Drive N.W.

Through engagement with the community and stakeholders The City updated the design to better reflect the concerns that were heard about the corridor. With increased scope and costs for the updated design, The City will phase construction on Northmount Drive N.W., starting this year with Phase 1 at the 14 Street N.W. intersection.

Phase 1, from Cambrian Drive N.W. to Carol Drive N.W., will consist of safety and operational improvements at the intersection. This will include adding a transit queue jump, a lengthened left-turn lane from westbound Northmount Drive N.W. to southbound 14 Street N.W. and a bicycle connection through the busy intersection. The intersection will also be re-paved to improve the surface quality of the roadway.

Construction is being coordinated with other City departments (Calgary Transit and Roads) to save costs and minimize impact to the community. The remainder of the corridor will be constructed as funding becomes available. Final plans and construction information will be posted on the project webpage this summer.

Bowness Road N.W.

Construction on the Bowness Road N.W. Phase 2 Complete Street project is an extension of the first phase of the Bowness Road Complete Street upgrade (from 70 Street to 48 Avenue N.W.) This work is being done so people walking, cycling, taking transit and driving are able to safely and conveniently travel through the community.

The project includes curb extensions, pedestrian crossing islands, painted crosswalks and rectangular rapid flashing beacons along Bowness Road. Traffic calming improvements are also included on Bowwood Drive at 64 Street N.W. and 33 Avenue N.W.

The City will also be installing dedicated bike lanes from 69 Street N.W. to the Shouldice/John Hextall Bridges and making pathway improvements at the CP Rail underpass. The road will be re-paved and transit stop locations are also being upgraded to handle articulated buses.

Final plans and construction information will be posted on the project webpage this summer.

East Central Calgary

The City is also planning a bikeway network in East Central Calgary. Throughout the engagement process, the public helped The City identify where walking, cycling and traffic improvements could be made in the area. The resulting network includes two east-west routes and one north-south route, with safety improvements for people walking and cycling. The first phase of construction will begin this summer.

Phase 1 includes improvements for people cycling and walking on Marlborough Way N.E. / 40 Street S.E. (north-south route) and on 8 Avenue S.E. / 10 Avenue S.E. (east-west route). Final plans and construction information will be posted on the project webpage this summer.

Phase 2 will be constructed when funding becomes available, and will extend this network to several other roads in the area. This will include a second east-west connection from Barlow Trail N.E. to Madigan Drive N.E. as well as other improvements in the area.

Engagement

These projects engaged citizens on what the streets could look like, with the understanding that they would safely accommodate all travel modes. 

For Northmount Drive N.W., over 500 people attended the engagement events and over 1,000 in-person and online feedback forms were collected. 

For Bowness Road N.W., the project team worked closely with the Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), held two stakeholder meetings, a walking tour and two public workshops. In total, 99 people attended engagement events and over 280 feedback forms were submitted. 

For East Central, nearly 60 people attended the engagement events and over 120 in-person and online feedback forms were collected. 

The What We Heard reports and online feedback summaries are available on the Northmount Drive N.W. Improvement Project, Bowness Road N.W. Complete Street Phase 2 and East Central Calgary project web pages. Detailed design is currently being completed for all projects.

Visit calgary.ca for ongoing updates. 

Does your home have dangerous levels of radon? Here’s what you need to know

Radon gas in your home could be affecting your health, and you may not even know it.

The effects of radon gas have been studied extensively in recent years and are now definitively linked to lung cancer. Health Canada first implemented a radon guideline in 1988. Based on long-term exposure risks, in 2007 they reduced the safe limit of radon exposure from 800 Becquerel per metres3 (a Becquerel is a unit of radioactivity) to 200 Bq/m3. As a result of the change to the Health Canada guidelines, the Alberta Building Code was updated in 2014 to include requirements for rough-ins that will facilitate the future installation of radon mitigation systems, should they be required. Prior to 2014, there was no requirement in the Alberta Building Code to install these rough-ins.

The Alberta Building Code does not currently require houses to be tested for radon, and does not require radon mitigation systems to be installed (other than the rough-in for them). The City has staff that advise on numerous provincial and national building code committees. Through this work, we ensure that the latest radon safety issues are given appropriate consideration by code-writing authorities.

Since the only way to know what levels exist in your home is to test, you should purchase a do-it-yourself radon test kit or hire a radon measurement professional, and become informed. These tests come in several types and can be purchased online or from your local hardware store. They are relatively inexpensive and should be conducted over a period of three months for most accurate results. If the levels in your home exceed 200 Bq/m3, Health Canada recommends you reduce your radon levels.

So what is radon?
Radon occurs naturally in the environment and is invisible, odourless and tasteless. It is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium in soil and rock. When it escapes the ground into the atmosphere, it is diluted by the air around us, going unnoticed. However, when it is escapes into an enclosed space like a basement, it can become concentrated and begin to cause problems.

Based on this potential health risk, the Alberta Building Code (ABC) requires that a radon remediation system rough-in be installed for all new construction projects. If you are adding to the footprint of your home, this will affect your renovation project.

Rough-in requirements for new construction in the Alberta Building Code

The reason the ABC requires a rough-in installation on new construction is to help with future remediation of radon gas if tested levels are above the recommended concentrations. It is important to know that the remediation of radon gas is a homeowner responsibility, and not required by the building code. Unfortunately, due to the nature of airborne gases, it is impossible to know if a future remediation system will be required. Mandating a rough-in at the new construction stage ensures that the greatest number of Albertans will have the ability to install a remediation system in the future if they require it. This is because installing a remediation system without a rough in can be costly and difficult to do in an existing home. When compared to the cost of providing a rough-in prior to pouring concrete, it makes sense to implement this proactive approach. The additional costs at this stage are minimal and require only a few modifications to normal building practice.

If you are planning an addition to your home you will need to provide a detail of the rough-in and label the rough-in inlet and outlet locations on your application drawings. The rough-in detail must include a sealed air barrier, an open end pipe to collect soil gas, granular material beneath the slab, and a capped/labelled stub up for future use. If after the space is built and occupied testing shows that the levels of radon are above the Health Canada threshold, an extraction system will be easy to install.

Vanessa Gash, LEED AP

Safety codes officer, building

Commercial plans examiner, Calgary Building Services, 

Planning & Development

Additional information on radon and its mitigation are available online at Health Canada www.hc-sc.gc.ca. If you have specific questions regarding installation requirements for your radon rough-in please visit calgary.ca/radon or contact The City of Calgary’s Planning Services Centre at 403-268-5311.

This blog was written by Vanessa Gash. Vanessa has been a plans examiner with Calgary Building Services at The City of Calgary for several years, and is a graduate in Architectural Engineering Technology from College of the North Atlantic. Prior to working for The City, she spent many years working in the commercial and residential construction industry in Calgary.

Construction in Calgary remains strong in 2017

Recent building permit values indicate a steady year of construction in 2017, says Calgary Building Services Director Kevin Griffiths.

With $4.7 billion in building permits taken out last year, and total construction value up 29 per cent in the first two months of 2017 totaling $416 million, we continue to see interest in development despite the current economy.

“Calgary is enviable in that we continue to be seen as a growth area,” says Griffiths. “We are still a region that is considered prosperous and an area of opportunity. In 2014, we were growing at a rate equal to New York City. It’s natural that we have slowed down a bit.”

Building permit values 2007-2016

One of the biggest projects in the works is Crosstown, a mixed-use development directly across from the Erlton-Stampede LRT station, with an estimated construction value of over $78 million. It will feature four residential towers and a high street pedestrian-oriented area with a grocery store and other shops.

“We worked extensively with the community to develop the concept for Crosstown,” says Paul Faibish, vice president of development with Anthem Properties Group. “I think people are excited about what it will offer – it’s a very positive thing for the community. Right now, residents in that area have to walk over to Mission to get a coffee, pick up groceries and more. With Crosstown, those amenities will be right in Erlton.”

The project will also include a pedestrian connection across Macleod Trail to the LRT station.

Other developments that have taken out a building permit recently include Arris Towers, with a construction value of about $131 million, the Orchard at $57 million and Seton High School at $42 million.

Building a great city together

The City continues to work closely with industry partners to better serve our city and enable development that meets the needs of Calgarians. The Industry City Work Plan has identified opportunities to improve City processes to help get more projects to the construction phase. One example includes improvements on how The City processes several development permit application types, which has reduced the time it takes for developers to obtain decisions.

“Improvements such as these make Calgary a more attractive place for real estate investment as they create more certainty in the process. This can contribute to moving our economy in the right direction,” says Griffiths.


As part of the Industry City Work Plan, The City has significantly improved its review times on several key development permit applications types since March 2016.

Top 15 building permit applications in 2016 by construction value

For more information about developing our city, visit calgary.ca/pd.

City hosts information sessions for projects in Inglewood and Ramsay

The City is investing in Inglewood and Ramsay to make life better every day. With more than 20 City projects under construction or under consideration, we know there’s a lot going on. We want to make sure you have the information you need and the opportunity to ask questions, so we’re bringing many of these projects together for two public information sessions. Drop in at either of our upcoming information sessions to learn more and provide your input. These events are identical but offered at different times.

Thursday, March 9
4 – 8 p.m.
Alexandra Centre
922 9 Ave SE

Saturday, March 11
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Festival Hall
1215 10 Ave SE

Drop in at any time to view the information boards and talk to the project teams. There will also be a brief presentation by the project manager every hour (at 5, 6, 7 p.m. on Thursday, and at 10, 11 a.m., 12 p.m. on Saturday).

We hope you can join us on one of these dates, but if you’re unable to attend, you’ll have the opportunity to provide online input beginning Thursday, March 9.

At the information session, you will learn more about:

• How The City is coordinating these projects to help create the best possible neighbourhood with the lowest impact to your everyday during construction 
• The 9 Avenue S.E. Main Streets Streetscapes project
• The 12 Street S.E. Bridge Replacement project
• The 9 Avenue S.E. Bridge Replacement project 
• The 25 Avenue S.E. LRT Grade Separation Study 
• The 17 Avenue S.E. BRT project 
• The Inglewood Storm Trunk project
• The Bioengineering project

You will also be able to provide your input on:

• The structure and design of the new 9 Avenue S.E. Bridge 
• Landscaping and commemoration of the 12 Street S.E. Bridge
• Priorities, ideas and concerns for the 25 Ave S.E. LRT Grade Separation Study
• How you like to receive information from The City
• How you like to provide input to The City
• Your transportation priorities and how you get into, out of and around your community

The City will be back later this spring to update you on project progress, and to collect more feedback, as each of the projects moves through their respective visioning, study, design or construction processes.

Learn more about what we’re working on in Ramsay and Inglewood at www.calgary.ca/InglewoodRamsay, and stay up-to-date on the latest news by subscribing to our mailing list.

What you should know before renovating your home

Home renovations can be a lot of fun – styling your home with your own look and personality. As you begin planning your next improvement project, here are three things you should consider:

1. Do your research

One of most important steps, but often overlooked, is planning. Do your research first, so that you are not overwhelmed by the time, cost and requirements later on. A good place to start is calgary.ca/homeimprovement for information on your project and the permitting and inspection requirements to make sure your home is safe.

2. Hire the right professional

Do-it-yourself projects can end up costing more in the long run, if you make mistakes or aren’t sure of the safety requirements. Hire a professional if you aren’t skilled in certain areas. If you are going to hire a contractor, make sure you ask for references and a written contract. You should also ensure they are licensed; use The City’s search tool to verify a licensed trade contractor.

3. Get the right permits and inspections

Depending on the extent of your renovation, you may need a permit. This is to ensure your project meets Alberta’s safety codes and bylaws, so that your family, neighbours and tenants are safe. Your permit includes City of Calgary inspections – so you have a certified plumber, gas fitter or electrician familiar with Alberta’s safety codes looking at your work. Our safety codes officers can answer your questions before or during your home renovation. Contact our Technical Assistance Centre for code related questions.

To learn more about home improvements, inspections, hiring a contractor and more, visit calgary.ca/myhome

Working together to build a great city

The City is planning for the future of our youngest citizens today. We’re focused on balancing growth and development while maintaining liveable community design and planning for the future.

The total construction value for new building permits submitted to The City declined in 2016, but remained strong. In 2014 and 2015, Calgary experienced record highs for these types of applications (about $6 billion in each year), and in 2016 we saw numbers on par with 2011 and 2012. We issued over $4.7 billion in building permits, an indication that a good amount of construction was applied for in 2016. For those major projects applied for in 2016, construction is likely to have started or will start and continue over the 2017 and 2018 period.

Here are a few highlights of our work in planning and development in 2016.

Industry/City Work Plan

In 2016, we processed key application types faster than previous years as part of the Industry/City Work Plan. These application types are:

• Infill development permits: A planning application that allows the city to review a new home in a developed area to ensure it meets the rules of the Land Use Bylaw.
• Development permit and land use amendment initial team reviews: a review to make sure your application is complete. The decision is whether to accept the file for review or not.
• Development permit detailed team reviews: A review of your plans, with comments, that inform what you need to get an approval.
• Development permit decisions with applicants: A planning application that allows the city to review a development to ensure it meets the rules of the land use bylaw.

Inspections and permits

City representatives continue to provide technical expertise and consult on provincial and national building, technical and environmental code standards. Last year, we verified that all new buildings and renovation projects met quality and safety standards by conducting almost 200,000 building and development inspections.

In our Planning Services Centre, we connected with over 170,000 customers in person or over the phone last year, helping to answer questions about Alberta’s safety codes and The City’s Land Use Bylaw. We continued to put new permit types online, ending the year with all residential building permit types available on calgary.ca/epermit. We took in 3,391 building and development permits through this system in 2016.

Secondary suite successes: programs boost number of legal suites

It’s a sweet time to build a secondary suite – or at least, that’s what 383 families decided after The City of Calgary introduced a development permit exemption for basement suites and an online suite registry in September 2015.

That’s over 400 per cent more secondary suite applications than The City received previously on a monthly basis.

“It’s a faster, cheaper and easier process to build a basement suite in areas where they’re already permitted; you can go straight to the building permit phase,” says City of Calgary Senior Special Projects Officer Cliff de Jong. “Because of that and the introduction of the registry, we’re seeing more Calgarians than ever before build a new suite or make their existing suite safe and legal.”

Applicants can skip the development permit process entirely if they meet the rules of the Land Use Bylaw, saving up to $2,000 in application costs, which includes commissioning architectural drawings. In some instances, you may still require a land use redesignation or development permit; in which case, the fees for both are currently waived. The exemption is a pilot project that could end in March 2017, but is up for discussion at City Council on Feb. 13 (after being deferred at the Jan. 16 City Council meeting).

“I think as a homeowner, it’s easy to say, ‘I can get this basement development permitted in a day, but a secondary suite development takes three months,’” says Calgary secondary suite owner Sean Hayes. “Now, with the development permit exemption, you may be able to get that secondary suite development in a day or two as well.”

The launch of both secondary suite programs has helped to create conversations between The City and citizens in person and on social media, says de Jong.

“We’ve been talking to people on a number of platforms and getting a lot of positive feedback about the online registry and development permit exemption,” says de Jong. “We know the process can be confusing; sometimes people are misinformed about what it takes to build a legal and safe suite. Social media is an easy way to direct them to the correct information and for us to be a part of the online conversation.”

Calgary basement suite owner Kim Ketchum says that in particular, the online secondary suite registry has helped her talk to her neighbours about secondary suites.

“The registry is important for the community,” Ketchum says. “I think it’s really important that the image of secondary suites is enhanced within the city. I think the registry can help do this, because my next door neighbour, somebody down the street or two blocks over can go to the website, pop in my address and see whether or not the suite is legal. When they see that it is registered, then that can help change perceptions around secondary suites and people will know all of Alberta’s safety code requirements have been met.”

To learn more about renting or building a secondary suite, visit calgary.ca/suites

Cycle track pilot project summary

The Council-approved 18 month Cycle Track Network Pilot Project will end in December. The final report and recommendations from Administration will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit on December 8, 2016 and then to Council on December 19, 2016. At these meetings, Council will determine the future of the network.

The public can attend and speak at the December 8 meeting or submit a letter with their comments about the pilot. The December 8 meeting will be held in Council Chambers and will begin at 9:30 a.m. People interested in submitting a letter or presenting at Committee can find out how to do so online.

Results
The cycle tracks give Calgarians a safer and more predictable way to travel by bike to downtown destinations. Over the past 18 months, the project team collected data on 82 performance measures while monitoring the operation and safety for all road users. Many of the performance targets were met and a report summarizing the results is available online. Here are a few highlights:

The primary performance measures for the pilot were:

• Percentage of people cycling, walking and driving satisfied with the pilot (evaluated using a random phone survey)
• Safety (evaluated using number of collisions)
• Bicycle volumes (evaluated using automated counters and manual data collection)
• Travel time for cars during the peak periods (evaluated using GPS and stopwatch trials)
• Incidents of unlawful bicycle riding (evaluated using manual observation)

We found the following results for each of these metrics:

Satisfaction
A third-party telephone survey was conducted city-wide in September 2016 to track awareness, understanding, attitude and support for the project.

• 46% - 54% of people ‘liked’ their most recent driving experience on the routes (51% - 60% in 2014) 
• 65% - 82% of people ‘liked’ their most recent cycling experience on the routes (12% - 71% in 2014)

The survey also found that 67% of people support the cycle track pilot and 68% support the Stephen Avenue bicycle pilot. The same survey was conducted in 2014 and 2015, and support remained consistent.

Safety
Safety along the network was closely monitored during the pilot period. Collision information was collected by Calgary Police Service, and during one year of the pilot (June 18, 2015 - June 18, 2016) there were 39 reported collisions between a bike and car and zero fatalities along cycle track corridors.

We reviewed locations where an incident occurred and put in dashed green paint, changed parking or added signs to raise awareness of potential conflicts at these locations.

Bicycle volumes
We have been using automated counters to count the number of bike trips taken each day since the network opened. To date, there have been 1.2 million bicycle trips since June 2015, based on the data at the three middle count locations. Ridership has tripled along the network, and the number of women and children riding has also increased.

Travel times
We anticipated travel time for drivers would increase on the roads with cycle tracks, since typically we had to remove a driving or parking lane to create the bikeway. The Transportation Department recorded travel time for drivers travelling from one end of each cycle track to the other for each route, during the morning and evening rush hours. They found that the longest delay was 90 seconds, on 12th Avenue from 11 Street S.W. to 4 Street S.E. during the morning drive.

Incidents of unlawful bicycle riding
Overall, unlawful sidewalk riding has decreased from an average of 16% (before the cycle tracks) to 2% after the cycle tracks. There were no observed instances of careless riding or near misses on Stephen Avenue during the time the data was collected.

You can learn more at our presentation to Committee on Thursday or visit calgary.ca/cycletracks.

Evaluate concepts for the south end of Shaganappi Trail on November 24

Shaganappi Trail has long served as a vital link in Calgary’s transportation network.

It’s time to think of the future and how it can better serve citizens. That’s why The City of Calgary is conducting a transportation corridor study that will identify short- and long-term recommendations for the south end of Shaganappi Trail.

Citizens shared their concerns and ideas on how to improve the study area starting last year. The study is currently in Phase 2: Concept Development and Analysis. Join us at the open house on Thursday, November 24 at the Foothills Academy (745 37 St. N.W.) to help evaluate preliminary concepts for the study area.

“The infrastructure was built in the 1960s and is the remnant of a freeway plan that was never built,” says Project Manager Lei Ma. “The study will help us understand how to reconfigure the roads to better meet the needs of the community and Calgary’s transportation network for the next 30 years.”

There will also be an opportunity to provide input online around the same time. The input received throughout the engagement, along with technical review, will help us identify a set of recommendations to present to Calgarians in spring 2017.

To learn more about the study or to sign up for email updates, visit calgary.ca/southshaganappi.

Calgary building permit values spike in October

October has been a record month for building permit applications in Calgary, a strong indication that despite the current economy, developers remain confident in the Calgary economy in the longer term.

Total construction value for building permits in October 2016 was over $1.5 billion, the highest value in a single month on record in Calgary. We saw a 36 per cent increase in single family homes and a 47 per cent increase in new commercial buildings in October 2016 compared to the previous month. This beat last October’s record of $1.47 billion, which was when an updated Alberta Building Code was implemented.

This month’s spike in applications can be attributed to the Nov. 1 implementation of the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings and Section 9.36 of the Alberta Building Code, both of which bring in energy efficiency requirements.

“Many of those applying for a building permit prior to the Nov. 1 energy code deadline have been in the planning stages for a long time,” says Justin Pockar, energy and environmental coordinator at The City of Calgary. “If they were to follow the new energy efficiency requirements, they would face significant design changes that could result in increased cost and time delays.”

For those applying after the Nov. 1 energy code deadline, The City has developed tools, checklists and resources to help builders adopt these new standards for both commercial and residential buildings. The initial deadline for energy code compliance was May 1, 2016, but was extended by the Government of Alberta in order to give builders more time to familiarize themselves with the requirements. As a result, both The City and builders have been preparing for these changes for over a year.

Construction projects that have taken out building permits, while not a guarantee of completion, are a strong indicator that projects are moving forward in 2016 and 2017. They could take two or more years to complete. Here are some of the projects we saw come in this month:

• Intergulf developments mixed use tower in the Beltline. Total construction value: $95,321,510
• Crosstown, residential towers on Macleod Trail. Total construction value: $111,118,472
• The Orchard, a mixed-use development in the Beltline. Total construction value of tower 1: $57,876,300
• Marriott Hotel in the downtown commercial core. Total construction value: $57,487,700
• Skyview Ranch, a multi-phase apartment complex and retail. Total construction value: $55,725,500

Building permit construction values by quarter, January 2014 – October 2016

Main Streets: More than just streets

Main streets are important to the long-term growth of our city because they are vibrant areas for people to live, work and visit. Not only do they offer a variety of diverse lifestyle choices for housing and transportation, they form part of the fabric of daily life. Main streets are more than just streets, these are the places where you grab coffee, run errands, meet friends and are unique and vital destinations.

The Main Streets initiative aligns to the long term growth goals of the Municipal Development plan by directing growth to existing main street areas. These areas have the capacity to support future population increases and commercial opportunities, and are located along a Primary Transit Network for easy accessibility.

To understand the unique requirements of growth in these areas, The Main Streets initiative considered:

• Calgarian’s desires for their main street areas
• Market demand for the location and timing of new development
• Local planning and policy goals

Throughout an extensive public engagement process, in which Calgarians thoughtfully provided their input, some of the most important outcomes expressed by main street users included:

• A vibrant public realm
• A variety of retail and small businesses
• A unique character

These desired outcomes were considered along with market demand (i.e. development and investment interest) and local planning (i.e. current zoning and policy goals). Based on this approach, seven main streets were identified as ready for change and redevelopment in the short-term. City planners then looked at the solutions that would work in these areas to enable desired growth and change.

1 Avenue NE: supporting a growing population

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want more community gathering spaces and a high quality street while maintaining a small town feel	·         868 residential units are expected to be built over the next 25 years driving commercial and retail opportunities	·         The Bridgeland/Riverside Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) provides policy that promotes and encourages growth along 1 Avenue NE ·         Current zoning does not allow population and employment levels to fully meet MDP growth targets

36 Street NE: enabling a more creative use of existing space

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want a safe and comfortable multi-modal main street with high quality public transit facilities and more landscaping	·         214 residential units are expected to be built over the next 25 years, starting gradually between 2016 and 2020 ·         Many sites have potential for larger scale projects including medium-term opportunity for residential, office and retail development	·         Local planning does not provide the proper framework for main street development as envisioned by the MDP ·         Current zoning does not facilitate mixed used development and makes more creative use of large commercial sites a challenge

16 Avenue NW (Mongtomery) and Bowness Road NW (Montgomery): encouraging population growth

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want safe and vibrant main street sidewalks, a variety of businesses and effective reuse and renewal of older retail	·         Both main streets have not been overly active locations for new development ·         Commercial and retail opportunities will be driven by population growth in the immediate area	·         The Montgomery Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) provides policy that encourages pedestrian focused commercial and mixed use buildings along the main streets ·         Current zoning does not allow population and employment to reach MDP growth targets

17 Avenue SE: better aligning to MDP growth targets

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want more amenities, gathering spaces that showcase cultural diversity, employment opportunities, safe and vibrant main street sidewalks and improved connectivity to the city	·         1,794 residential units are expected to be built over the next 25 years, starting between 2016 and 2020 and gradually increasing. ·         Many sites along 17 Avenue SE have potential for larger scale projects including short to medium-term opportunity for residential, office and retail development	·         Current zoning does not match up with the City Council approved Southeast 17 Corridor: and does not allow for development to reach the growth targets outlined in the Municipal Development Plan

17 Avenue SW (from Crowchild Trail to 37 Street SW): encouraging more commercial and retail development

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want development of vacant sites and Tecumseh site, and to retain character	·         Approximately 3,340 homes are expected to be built over the next 25 years, starting gradually between 2016 and 2020 ·         Potential for further retail and commercial development opportunities	·         Killarney/Glengarry ARP provides land use policy that support MDP goals ·         Westbrook Village Station Area Plan is directed by the goals of the MDP ·         Current zoning allows for a range of mixed use and apartment development but restricts commercial uses and there is limited opportunity for street-level access forms of multi-residential development

37 Street SW: encouraging more commercial and retail development

Community desires	Market outlook	Local planning/policy
Want more of a destination, more vitality and better managed parking	·         Approximately 3,208 homes are expected to be built over the next 25 years, starting gradually between 2016 and 2020. ·         The Westbrook Mall site has potential for office and general commercial retail development at a larger scale than most main street sites.	·         The current zoning does not allow the street to grow over time to meet MDP growth targets

Drop by an upcoming information session in October to review the proposed solutions and the specific tools and techniques that will be used to enable growth and change in these main street areas. Visit calgary.ca/mainstreets for event details.