Neighbourhood Streets - Resources
Traffic calming will remain an important solution to enhance neighbourhood streets. However, community groups and The City are investing in the livability of neighbourhood streets in new ways using new toolkits.
These toolkits vary in terms of their intended outcomes (I.e. speeding, safety or vibrancy) and the ways residents are engaged, but all belong under the umbrella of Neighbourhood Streets.
Toolkits
The Neighbourhood Streets Toolkits are described below. To see where the tools have been used in the past, or are currently being used, please click the links to City of Calgary and external partner resources.
Traffic calming
Altering Streets to slow vehicles and to correct past designs that influence unsafe driver cues.
- We know that speeding and shortcutting through communities can cause collisions and ultimately discourage enjoyment of the street for the community. Traffic calming requires input from residents to share areas of priority and concern.
Safety and spot fixes
Correct known safety issues and localized problems
- We have a duty to care to all users and use safety reviews and engineering best practice to review safety and spot issues in a case by case basis. The community is involved and informed of the spots that are open for review or repair as they become available.
Resources:
- Traffic safety programs
- Learn about our safety strategy – Safer Mobility Plan
- Calgary Policy Services – Traffic Service Requests
- City of Edmonton – Vision Zero
- Walking and safety tips
- Streetlighting - use the online 311 Service Request to submit a street light inquiry, including requests for special streetlight installations.
- Noise bylaw
- Pedestrians and crosswalks
Corridor studies
Retrofit streets to support new or emerging travel needs
- When the desire for safe travel choices increases The City performs studies that examine current challenges and future requirements that will shape how people and goods move through the corridor in the years to come.
Tactical urbanism
The fear of change can be a barrier to making improvements
- When we implement tactical urbanism we prototype changes in public space to improve local neighbourhoods and city gathering places. Often temporary and quick interventions, tactical urbanism is normally done in collaboration with or led by the community.
Missing links
Close gaps in Calgary's walking and wheeling networks: on pathways, on streets, and traveling in between. Single barriers along a route may make travel choices impossible for certain or all users.
- Understanding that there are often single barriers along a route that may make travel choices impossible for certain or all users, we look at policies and plans, like the pathways and bikes plan to determine where improvements can be made to The City of Calgary pathways and bikeways network to improve active transportation, travel options in communities and general safety for everyone walking and wheeling.
Resources:
- Adaptive sidewalks
- Pathways and bikeways map
- Backlane paving
- Pathway closures
- Road closures
- See where others in walking and riding – Strava, bikemaps, happymaps
- Calgary Transit – route information, locate nearest bus stop, request a bus shelter
Microgrants and permissions
Invite residents to lead enhancements in their community
- There is an appetite for volunteerism in Calgary, which leads to resilient neighbourhoods. When we empower communities to partner in collaborations that reveal the way Calgarians wish to be involved, we help to remove the barriers that prevent involvement.
Activation
Grow activity in neighbourhoods as well as feelings of safety and belonging
- Using repeated nudges, partner collaborations with communities helps to change behaviour in favour of sustainable travel choices that help Calgarians to be active in their communities.
Education
Promote the importance and elements of good travel behaviour.
- We know that feeling unsafe prevents Calgarians from using and enjoying their neighbourhood streets. Education helped to enforce changes and behaviour trends for new designs or bylaws, and asses the needs of the community.
Placemaking
Add beautification and character like community wayfinding, community art or gardens
- Community investment lends to feelings of pride and belonging and we work with community leaders and partners to support the creation of spaces that bring people together in a safe and comfortable way.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Neighbourhood Street?
A neighbourhood street is a street you might live on or the one near you with local shops and your closest bus stop. There is a lot of activity that belongs on neighbourhood streets like moving, connecting with neighbours and gardening or mowing the lawn. Neighbourhood streets work well when everyone can move safely and comfortably.
What are liveable streets?
A liveable street is defined in this policy as a street that is safe, welcoming to all ages, comfortable for a variety of travel choices, supportive of fun and healthy lifestyles, and enhancing for local destinations through appropriate public amenities.
What makes a street liveable?
Calgarians value streets that feel safe and that are welcoming to all ages, support a variety of travel choices, fun and healthy lifestyles, and streets that enhance local destinations through the right public amenities.
What are temporary traffic curbs?
Traffic Calming Curbs (TC Curbs) are large, yellow concrete slabs which are placed on the road to provide temporary traffic calming. They were developed by a small team of City employees to improve the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. They are yellow and have plastic reflective posts or signs installed on them to increase their visibility to people driving. TC Curbs are designed to be the same height as other roadside curbs so they don’t pose any significant danger if struck by a vehicle. Find out more here.
How can I request a new project in my neighbourhood?
The City is currently examining how we can make the citizen request process for street improvements more user friendly, more transparent and that it collects the right details to give the best understanding of citizen concerns. For now, please continue to share your ideas that will improve walking and wheeling in your neighbourhood through 311 and stay tuned for more information on the new citizen request process.
More tools
Idea pages and guides from outside Calgary
- Tactical Urbanism guide book by Mike Lydon
Related topics:
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How the City of Calgary, citizens and partners are contributing to the safety, inclusivity, and vibrancy of Calgary’s community streets.
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To test the Neighbourhood Streets Policy, we worked with a variety of communities to improve their streets.
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The City collaborated with Calgarians to identify elements that make a great neighbourhood street.