16 Avenue North Community Traffic Management Measures Study:
A Sustainable and Community Sensitive Solution

The City of Calgary initiated the16 Avenue North Urban Corridor Study to review and update the1977 Transportation Functional Study. It was soon determined that a more detailed study was required to address the unique nature of the corridor. The study was expanded to consider mobility, land use, and urban design to assist in revitalizing the inner city corridor. The study resulted in a comprehensive long-range Concept Plan that recommended 11 median breaks, rear lane commercial access, ”people friendly” design, increased residential and commercial densities within the first block north and south of 16 Avenue North and enhanced pedestrian environment to promote compatible pedestrian and vehicular movement. The recommended center median with increased median breaks and traffic signals created different dynamics for community and commercial access along 16 Avenue North and into the eight neighbouring communities.The changes in community access led to the need for a traffic management study. Council committed to the further study of the community traffic issues when they approved the concept plan.

The City of Calgary retained Associated Engineering to conduct the Community Traffic Management Study. The objective of the study was to create a Traffic Management Measures Plan for each of the adjacent communities through a public engagement process. The study was to identify traffic management measures on the residential side streets adjacent to 16 Avenue North required to address traffic access and circulation issues within and through the adjacent eight communities.

The process of undertaking a Community Traffic Management Measures Plan as a result of an adjacent Capitol Works Project was new to the City of Calgary. The plan was to be completed such that the resulting community traffic management measures that were identified could be implemented as part of the construction upgrade contracts for 16 Avenue North Urban Corridor. This required the plan to be developed and accepted within a seven-month period.

The six communities adjacent to 16 Avenue North between14 Street Northwest and 6 Street Northeast involved in the study included Capitol Hill, Mount Pleasant, Tuxedo Park, Winston Heights/Mountview, Crescent Heights, and Renfrew.

The traffic issues identified by the communities were obtained during the original functional study through public open houses, business meetings, and Listen and Learn sessions. The issues were confirmed with the transportation representatives from each of the communities. The issues identified included:

• Shortcutting
• Speeding along laneways
• Speed of traffic within the communities
• Turn issues from 16 Avenue North into the communities
• Safety of pedestrians around the school zones

There was also a unique issue with senior citizens crossing mid-block from a seniors’ apartment complex.

The initial series of public information meetings were held to inform the residents about the study and the study process, identify the types of traffic management measures available, present the preliminary traffic management measure options for the community, and explain the next steps in the study for selection and implementation of the measures.

Once the initial series of public information meetings were completed and comments reviewed, detailed opinion surveys were developed for each community and delivered to all households and businesses within approximately 2.5 blocks from 16 Avenue North. A second series of public information meetings was undertaken to provide the public with an opportunity to view the opinion survey results and view the preferred traffic management measures plan for the community. The preferred plans received full endorsement from Land Use Planning and Transportation Committee and Calgary City Council.