Summary
Calgary's transportation system was studied in the context of a 30 year planning
horizon or a population benchmark of 1.25 million. Technical analysis determined that as
the city swells by over 500,000 people over 30 years (year: 2024), most of the new growth
will occur in new suburbs on the city's edges. During the previous 30 years, Calgary
evolved as one of the more car-dependent cities in North America. If past trends continue,
another 470,000 more cars will be competing for space on the roads. The increase in
traffic from the new suburbs to jobs in the downtown and other parts of the city would
create congestion. More traffic would create a demand for infrastructure and spark the
need for new, contentious crossings of Calgary's Bow and Elbow Rivers.
To simply provide more roadway capacity is not seen as a viable solution
in terms of cost or community and environmental impacts. Thus the Plan (see figure 1
below) describes ways to reduce the growth of auto travel during these peak times
through changes in travel behaviour and land use strategies.
Land Use Strategies
Through an integration of land use and transportation planning, the Plan creates
opportunities for people to travel differently, by providing more travel choices. Because
the new growth will be suburban, it is important to develop more sustainable communi ties,
where Calgarians can meet their daily needs within, rather than outside of, their
community. By mixing land uses and creating town centres that provide jobs, shopping
services and a strong community focus, cross-town travel trips can be reduced. Better
designed suburbs can increase transit use or encourage more walking and cycling trips.
Maintaining the Benefits of Mobility
Key to supporting mobility for Calgarians and a strong economy is an effective road
system. A "skeletal" roadway network has been developed to support transit and
the recommended land use pattern. It is a primary travel corridor grid of main roads that
will support the growth of Calgary and maintain mobility for the 30 year period. The
network consists of four north/south and four east/west freeway and expressway standard
roads, which would ultimately provide non-stop or free-flowing travel conti nuity. It also
implies constructing new roads and/or upgrading many existing facilities beyond the
skeletal network as required over the next 30 years.
Changing Travel Behaviour
The Plan emphasizes a stronger role for public transit in Calgary over the next 30
years. In addition to financial investment in improved and expanded services, a package of
incentives/disincentives will make transit use more attractive relative to the car. One of
the key policies to boost transit ridership aims, over time, to reduce the supply of long
stay parking in the downtown for commuters. In addition, techniques will be used to
encourage different travel choices, such as car pooling programs and initiatives to spread
out the rush hour.
User Pay
The Plan promotes the concept of a fuel tax dedicated to transportation infrastructure
over the 30 year period. The benefits of a fuel tax would be two-fold. Revenues collected
for the transportation system would mean the Plan would be affordable to Calgarians over
the 30 year period; and other transportation choices would become more attractive as car
drivers pay more of the "true cost" of driving.
Change
The Calgary Transportation Plan is a strategic guide to becoming a different city in
the future, yet maintaining the enviable quality of life Calgarians have come to
appreciate. The Plan is a technically sound, yet common sense strategy that shows how
Calgarians can maintain their quality of life, and mobility that is more sustainable.
The Plan is about gradually moving in a direction that seeks despite increasing demands
brought on by becoming a bigger city to provide adequate mobility and more travel choices,
maintain good air quality, be affordable, preserve recreational and environmentally
sensitive areas, and maximize community quality.
The Plan is flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances over 30 years. Protect
ing lands for rights-of-way, and contingencies for the future, will continue to be The
City of Calgary's policy.
