DCA PD Committee Ride and Discussion with Bike Calgary and City of Calgary
The Dalhousie Community Association Planning and Development Committee (“PD Committee”) wants to ensure all ages and abilities of residents and visitors are safe and feel comfortable traveling within our community or accessing nearby amenities, whether they are walking, cycling, driving, or taking transit.
On September 10, members of the PD Committee met with representatives of Bike Calgary, a cycling advocacy group, for a bike ride through Dalhousie. We wanted to see with our own eyes, as well as through the fresh eyes of people living outside of our community, the experience of a cyclist riding through Dalhousie, especially from a safety perspective. While a certain level of cycling infrastructure already exists in Dalhousie, members of the PD Committee noted biking infrastructure that currently exists in Varsity and Brentwood ended or was considerably more limited as a cyclist enters Dalhousie.
We started at the Dalhousie Station bike lockers/passenger drop-off loop, traveled over the shared-use (pedestrians and cyclists) LRT station bridge into Varsity, and then back over the green space shared-use bridge to the east that connects Varsity to Dalhousie. We continued east on the shared-use path that runs through the green space by the new condo tower development, over to Canadian Tire and Vistaview apartments, and then over the shared-use bridge to Northland Mall. After crossing the parking lot at the NW corner of Northland Mall, we traveled east on 52 Avenue (past A&W and CIBC bank) and onto the bike lane on northbound Northland Drive.
We then crossed back over Shaganappi into Dalhousie, continued on the shared-use pathway to Dalton Drive, and then rode with traffic on Dalhousie Drive (signed bike route) to the green space north of the tennis courts. Traveling up the greenspace, we looked at connections to Dalhousie Elementary and St. Dominic Elementary, before continuing west on the shared-use path running parallel to Dalhart Road behind the residences, crossing over 53 Street to West Dalhousie to look at connections to H.D. Cartwright Junior High and Dalhousie Community Centre. Following the pathway to its terminus at Dalcastle Drive, we then traveled south to 66 Avenue to consider the shared-use paths that connect Dalhousie to Ranchlands and Silver Springs. Traveling back east on 66 Ave, we looked at the connection to West Dalhousie Elementary and then continued along Dalhousie Drive to 53 Street before the final leg of our journey along 53 Street into Varsity and then back to our Dalhousie Station LRT starting point, mostly riding in mixed traffic, aside from a brief section of bike lane along 53 Street and the pathway connection along the Groves development, both in Varsity.
After the ride, we met with a manager from the City of Calgary’s Infrastructure Services Department to give an overview of our observations and discuss ways to advocate for improved cycling and pedestrian safety and access. Challenges include prioritizing areas of highest need, vying for City budget monies for any capital projects, and balancing the needs of all residents (motorists, cyclists, pedestrians) when planning any changes/improvements.
In the near-term we see opportunities to address areas of immediate need. This includes:
- Better signage and markings to improve safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists
- Ensuring that road crossings safely accommodate cycling
- Strengthening development along “desire lines” (the most obvious/direct connection between point A and point B) to meet active travel needs are met and improve community connectivity.
The population of Calgary continues to grow and, with initiatives like the City’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plan, increased density will continue to occur in Dalhousie. With increased density will come increased demand on our streets and pathways. Providing viable alternatives, supported by local amenities, will help keep our streets moving and ensure Dalhousie remains a safe, attractive community in which to live and thrive.
