What makes a great residential street? City of Calgary seeks public feedback
The City of Calgary is changing the focus of an 18-year-old policy with the hope the updated version will better serve communities.
On Wednesday, the city announced the previously-titled Traffic Calming Policy has been renamed the Neighbourhood Streets Pilot Policy and has been expanded to focus on more than just how to keep streets safe.
The city's Traffic Calming Policy was adopted in 2003 and served to address negative impacts of traffic on neighbourhood streets.
However, the city is now taking a new approach.
“We were starting to serve communities in new ways," said Jen Malzer with the City of Calgary in a news release. "The interest in neighbourhood streets was expanding beyond speeding and shortcutting to include things like block parties and street murals, as well as pedestrian and accessibility improvements."
“It seemed like a natural next step to develop a policy that could respond to such an evolving community demand.”
A team took on the project of reforming the policy, and decided to co-design it with experts from across the city.
“The policy calls on Calgary leaders, designers, residents and decision makers to consider the unique needs of all users, to provide quality transportation choices and public spaces that benefit overall community health,” said Doug Morgan, general manager of transportation.
“Our desired outcome is to enable an improved quality of life. That outcome requires us to work together with thoughtful policy and tools that enable neighbourhood streets to provide the best value to the communities they serve.”
On Wednesday, the city released an infographic to show 17 different things that can help make for great residential streets.
This image represents what Calgary communities could be looking for in great neighbourhood streets, the City of Calgary said.
“We hope that by sharing this infographic, Calgarians can tell us if there are any solutions missing and share what matters to them," Malzer said.
"This feedback will help us review the pilot policy and ensure it meets the needs of the broader city."
Public engagement on the Neighbourhood Streets Pilot Policy is open until Dec. 17. For more information you can visit the City of Calgary's website.
The results from public engagement will be incorporated into a final policy that will be presented to council in June 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.