Have you ever caught yourself wandering through Calgary’s streets gazing up at a high-rise construction crane or peeking through a fenced-off building site wondering: what on earth are they building now?
Anyone who has lived in this city over the past several years knows that construction zones are as much of the Calgary's as that ever-diminishing red tower in downtown or the back drop of the Rocky Mountains.
One such zone in Lincoln Park has sparked such curiosity for passers-by. The site, formerly a part of the ATCO industrial area at 5911 Crowchild Trail S.W., is indeed undergoing quite the makeover.
Currently, the acre-sized plot of land is fenced off and peppered with bright orange bulldozers and front-end loaders. Clearly something is afoot. Yet, absent are any signs indicating what the development will ultimately entail.
However, Ward 11 Ald. Brian Pincott says the land is being prepped for “a series of road networks” that will ultimately become three new city blocks and eventually be used for non-retail business sites, much like the adjacent Westmount Corporate Campus.
At this point, however, no deals have been inked as to what specific businesses will end up there.
The Mount Royal University and River Park connection
So, three new city blocks dedicated to non-retail space. Yawn, right? Well, there's more to the story. During the interview with OpenFile, Pincott revealed details of a previously unreported transportation component attached to this development project.
“On top of the road networks at the ATCO site, I negotiated for there to be road work done on 50th Ave. S.W.,” he says. “We are going to be adding bike lanes that will connect Mount Royal University into the regional pathway system at River Park.”
This new connection may be the spark that gets students coming from the east side of town to pocket their car keys or bus passes and don a helmet and hop on a bike.
Sean Carter, owner of BikeBike Calgary who has been “car-free for two years now” — a task which he notes includes riding his son to school, grocery shopping, or attending a weekend shin-dig — is pretty happy about these new bike lanes.
“I’ve ridden along the east side of Crowchild Trail to River Park and its actually pretty good,” Carter says. “But riding on the west side on 50th Ave. can get really busy. That can be freaky for new cyclists. I’m glad the city is giving people the option to ride in a safe way.”
Easing your commute
There is another important group of folks that will be affected by these new bike lanes: downtown commuters.
Paige Mcleod, a resident of the Garrison Greens community that surrounds the north side of Mount Royal University, says that one of the downsides of her location has been the “disconnection from the city core.” For Mcleod, the new bike paths will pave the way for a safer way to work.
“I work downtown and I’ve rode my bike to work before,” she says. “But I don’t do it anymore because of having to use all of the busy roads. I think this will be excellent for the area in terms of connecting us to downtown.”
Mcleod says that the safer-system will get her back on the bike again. And by the sounds of it, she might not be the only one cycling to and fro from 50th Ave. in the future.
What do you think of the new bike lane connecting MRU to the city's pathway system? Will it sway you to cycle to school or downtown? Let us know.
*Correction: We incorrectly spelled Sean Carter's surname Charter and misquoted him as saying he has been "bike-free" for two years, when he has in fact been "car-free" for two years.
We regret the errors.
