Northeast communities voice concerns over Stoney Trail crossing plans

Some northeast Calgary communities are concerned about plans for two new roads on 80th Avenueand 64th Avenue N.E. that could bring more traffic into that part of the city.

The road crossings were initially designed to allow EMS vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to access new and future communities being built on the east side of Stoney Trail, including the new community of Homestead.

The city said it is now looking at expanding that and allowing regular traffic through.

"We'd like to know what's going on," saidJudy Brown with the Saddle Ridge Community Association.

Brown said the plans for the two new pieces of road one crossing Stoney Trail into her community and one into Taradale to the south have people worried.

"Traffic, mostly traffic," she said, when asked about her community's concerns.

"If they start allowing auto traffic back and forth, 80th Avenue was never intended to have that. It was a dead end street," said Brown.

Brown said Saddle Ridge already hastraffic issues around 80th Avenue and at Saddletowne Circle, which is the end of the line for the LRT and includes a busy station and road network.

"We are going to be looking into overall connectivity and if this facility could be used for car users as well," said Zoran Carkic with the City's transportation and planning department.

"The connections are required to support new growth in Calgary for the new communities and these are going to provide connectivity between the existing communities and the new communities," said Carkic.

People living in the northeast say it's the first they've heard about it even though the initial flyover plan was approved back in 2018.

The City will be holding open houses on the crossings next week, which it said is phase one of its engagement process with residents.

"It's important that residents in our community come out and let us know what you think," said Ward 5 Coun. George Chahal.

Chahal said an interchange has been planned at 64th Avenue for some time and it's a good time to start talking about the future.

"Should we look at further expansion to allow vehicular access? I think that's an important discussion that we need to have," said Chahal.

Two initial open houses on the project are scheduled to take place at the Genesis Centre on the evenings of March 4 and March 7.

There is also information on the project online on the city's website.