adamyyc
Active Member
Final Master Plan for Crescent Road has been posted to the City’s Engage webpage: https://engage.calgary.ca/crescentroad
- Thread starter adamyyc
- Start date
I like some of things in the plans for Crescent Road. Cutting down on the amount of parking will hopefully cutdown on the amount of dudes with their loud mufflers. I like the plans for landscaping between the multi-use path and the main walking path. Maybe I'm being selfish as a cyclist, but I would rather have seen the multi-use path used primarily as cyclists/scooter/skateboard pathway. Today it's mostly used for cyclists, but it gets crowded quickly if there are even a few pedestrians on it. When I'm there as a pedestrian, I prefer the main walkway anyway. Overall though, it looks good.
CalgaryTiger
Senior Member
Seeing this reminded me to go look up what's going on with the 33/34 Mainstreet.
Looks like there was a project update in October: 'The City is beginning hydrovac exploration work in Marda Loop along both 33 and 34 Avenues S.W. between Crowchild Trail and 18 Street S.W. This work is required so we can study the soil and road structure of the area, and to identify both City-owned and third-party utilities (Atco, Enmax, Shaw, etc.). This information will inform our final designs and allow us to plan construction efficiently.'
If there's funding the work begins next year: 'The Marda Loop Main Streets project continues to progress, with plans to begin construction in 2023 pending funding availability.'
You can also view the 33 and 34 Avenues S.W. combined roll plot on the project webpage. Some things I noticed: Festival street is now the 'loop' that surrounds the Marda Loop Brewery and not between 34 and 33. Also looks like there will be a set of lights at 34 and 20.
Looks like there was a project update in October: 'The City is beginning hydrovac exploration work in Marda Loop along both 33 and 34 Avenues S.W. between Crowchild Trail and 18 Street S.W. This work is required so we can study the soil and road structure of the area, and to identify both City-owned and third-party utilities (Atco, Enmax, Shaw, etc.). This information will inform our final designs and allow us to plan construction efficiently.'
If there's funding the work begins next year: 'The Marda Loop Main Streets project continues to progress, with plans to begin construction in 2023 pending funding availability.'
You can also view the 33 and 34 Avenues S.W. combined roll plot on the project webpage. Some things I noticed: Festival street is now the 'loop' that surrounds the Marda Loop Brewery and not between 34 and 33. Also looks like there will be a set of lights at 34 and 20.
zagox
Active Member
100% agree - the image above even foresees a business dude in khakis talking obliviously on a cell phone in the bike lane! Bikes in the bike lane, walking and taking phone calls on the gravel path!
CBBarnett
Senior Member
Overall the Crescent Road Plan looks good - it's not revolutionary and could go a lot farther to reduce car access/parking, but will be a major upgrade and closer to what the area actually is - a regionally significant viewpoint that attracts many people to visit at all times of the year.
One thing in the city's report that surprised me is just how low traffic volumes actually are. Most people are accessing the area by foot or cycle already, at all times a year. I thought that might be the case but rarely do we see such specific local data to prove it. Here's the data they provided:
At the end of the report there's this proposed traffic calming plan. All pretty standard stuff, but good to see.
My only gripe is that this is a one-off project. On the main inner city corridors where the commuter v. local needs trade-offs is more complex I get the one-off need to balance. But for every side street and local traffic area like this, every single community in the inner city has problems with speeding and road safety, and lots of poor pedestrian/cycling access issues. Let's not just create a few publicly-funded gated communities for the wealthiest and loudest voices, let's make our entire inner city like this regardless on if you have a teenager make-out lookout point in your hood or not.
We don't need to build walls and barriers, visitors and commuters in cars can still access everywhere - but if you leave a main corridor in the inner city, the assumption should be much slower vehicle speeds everywhere, all the time. The approach demonstrated here should be standard practice in every neighbourhood.
Though I don't have any stats, I think there used to be much higher vehicle traffic in the pre-covid days. Adding the extra temp lane for pedestrians, and having intermittent road closures over the past two years seems to have toned the number of vehicles. Taking away some of the parking should tone it down even more, which will be nice.
YYCguy
Active Member
I am a caregiver for an older person who has long COVID. On occasion he likes to get takeaway and sit on Crescent Road to enjoy the view whilst he eats. He lives in Airdrie. I try to drive him as close as possible to where he wants to sit as he can’t walk far without having respiratory issues but it’s not been easy since some changes were made to the area and I worry that if further changes are made we may not be able to park close and enjoy this space anymore. I’m not saying changes shouldn’t be made, but I hope some thought and action would be done to consider people of ALL abilities using the space.
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Chinook Arch
Active Member
I’m thinking for cases like that, as long as they allow handicap spots, that should be OK. I mean handicap spots should be a must have at the very least.