Activity Surveys Acadia Urban Structure

Activity Profile DOWNTOWN Acadia residents were surveyed by Active Neighbourhoods. Here's what they had to say! Blackfoot Trail

Macleod Trail Heritage To Valley Exercise is the #1 reason residents How easy is it to get around your community? Fairmont Drive Deerfoot Drive choose to walk or bike. Trail 71% 49% Very Easy Heritage LRT Commercial Why they might choose not to walk: Station Easy for the Centre Most Part Acadia Weather: 45% Rec Centre A community portrait prepared by Somewhat Pathway Difcult Active Neighbourhoods Canada. Distance: 31% 32% Very Bow River Valley ACADIA Escarpment Difcult Southwest LRT ACADIA Too much to carry: 29% 29% Commercial District 11% Bonaventure Drive Why they might choose not to bike: 8% Weather: 33% Walking Cycling Southland Drive

Trafc Safety: 24% Macleod Promoting Active Transportation Trail Too much to carry: 19%

Fairmont Acadia 55% Drive Drive of residents see people 69% of residents surveyed think it is important or very NORTH walking “a lot” or “all the time”. important to promote walking and biking in their RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOURHOODS neighbourhood. 69% of residents “never” or “Without activity, there is no community” June 2014 “sometimes” see people Safer leads Active Neighbourhoods Population and Dwellings WalkTalk in Acadia Street Design Social Connectivity Canada Population Age Distribution July 2015 According to residents, ANC exploratory bike rides and walks How can the design of our communities and great pathways – safe, accessible, Population 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 60% contribute to public health, well- beautiful – to get there with. 10,969 1,195,194 better physical of residents think the sense of community 75+ being and safety? Respond to trafc Sustainable Calgary is working alongside Acadia Calgary Acadia is strong or very strong. October 2015 design of streets Results of the congestion? Stimulate the economy? 4 communities in Calgary and Alberta 65-74 BikeAcadia survey, led Work towards the overall sustainability of over 4 years, with Acadia as our second Median Age would encourage residents to walk or by the Acadia our city? bike more. Community Association, community. We help neighbourhoods 42 36 55-64 (ACA) released These are questions that inspired the identify strengths and weaknesses in Acadia Calgary development of Active Neighbourhoods their neighbourhoods, explore design 45-54 Hotspots Canada, a collaboration between solutions with professionals, and work Walkscore November 2015 35-44 Community walk Sustainable Calgary, the Montreal Urban towards the implementation of at least 20% audits and mapping; Ecology Centre and the Toronto Centre one design change within 2 years. According to walkscore.com, Acadia has door-to-door surveying 25-34 33 for Active Transportation. Funded by These experiences are shared with the following scores: with students from the 15% University of Calgary’s the Public Health Agency of Canada’s professionals, decision–makers and 20-24 24 Sustainable Cities “Healthy Weights” program, Active community organizations over the course 33 1 6 32 program 10% Neighbourhoods supports walking, of the project to contribute to best 15-19 Location A 2 11 27 cycling and vibrant streets. Our practices in participatory planning and 5% 3 13 December 2015 philosophy is that people will walk more sustainable urban design. 5-14 74 60 Our interactive Walkability Transit 29 if they have destinations nearby to go to, 0% 4 community map lives at A 14 Seniors Living Alone Lone-parent 0-4 the Acadia Recreation B 5 Families 34 15 Centre Location B 28 30

35 32 6 16 20 17 18 March 2016 Active Neighbourhoods Dwelling Units Walkability Transit Preliminary findings presented to residents Total dwellings: 9 for feedback; student in Acadia 22 representatives from 46% 7 NHTV University (Breda) 4,884 Single Family Home 39 Active Neighbourhoods has been elected ofcials and city planners, and 6 display their work; 26 21 temporary trafc-calming partnering with the Acadia Community pulled from the ACA’s BikeAcadia report. 55% of dwelling units in Acadia are 31 infrastructure tested by 23 Association (ACA) since July 2015 to find In March 2016, our preliminary findings owner-occupied, compared to City of Calgary 69% out the good, the bad, and the “meh” of were displayed for feedback at the Acadia for Calgary as a whole. 8 3% 25 Acadia’s public spaces. Engaged in this Recreation Complex. That same month, 2% Duplex 6 May 2016 project are local residents, University of the City of Calgary ran trafc-calming Converted 10 6 12 Accessibility walk audit (suites) Calgary students, students from NHTV experiments in Acadia, prototyping a local 33 with Spinal Cord Injury (Breda, Netherlands), Safer Calgary, “road diet”, and NHTV University students Alberta the Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, various presented 6 large-scale design projects Townhouse departments at the City of Calgary, Ward for Acadia. 8% 41% June 2016 9, the MLA’s ofce for Calgary-Acadia, and Apartment Improve cycling/pedestrian safety. Nice, wide road to cycle on, but vehicle speed Neighbour Day This Community Portrait distills the 1 18 more. information we collected, and provides and safety concerns, especially for children; no We’ve collected information in a number a snapshot of Acadia – what does it look 2 Difcult to access by foot, bike and bus; LRT dedicated cycling infrastructure. of ways. Our travelling map of Acadia like, physically and socially? How do Mode of Transport track is primary barrier. invited residents to reflect, provide residents feel about walking, biking and 20 Drivers dropping of children create safety 3 Improves access to LRT Station; walkway concerns. feedback and chat. Door-to-door surveys hanging out in their community? What 65.1% 67.4% Acadia Calgary is steep, particularly for people on wheels, provided rich feedback, and put Acadia changes would they like to see? particularly in winter. 21 High vehicle speeds in school zone. in the running for most hospitable This information will feed into the Albertans. In April 2016, the Spinal Cord 2016 Urban Design Invitational, where 4 Major pedestrian crossing; provides LRT access; 22 Walkable amenities; great potential for further Injury Association teamed up with us designers and decision-makers develop safety concerns for pedestrians/cyclists. development. 20% 18% for an accessibility walk audit, providing 3-5 “design schemes” for Acadia, and feedback from the perspective of sight, 5.6% 5% Great place for random conversations. 23 Improve sidewalks. evaluate their feasibility. The Acadia 0.7% 1.4% 3.1% 2.3% 2.2% 3.2% 2.8% 2.0% 5 hearing and mobility impairments. We led Design Selection Kiosk then provides a Improve cycling/ped safety. Generous curb radii encourage high-speed a resident walk audit, performed short forum for resident feedback and voting on 6 24 turning; safety concerns. interviews, went on exploratory bike rides, these schemes. gathered resident photos and stories, Drove Public Walk Bicycle Work from Carpool, Carpool, 7 Great place to waste an entire day. reviewed online conversations, met with Alone Transit Home Driver Passenger 25 Busy street; uncomfortable to travel or cross by 8 Great place to walk to. bike; improve comfort of access to Bow River.

9 Improve walkability; control height of new 26 High-speed cut-through trafc. developments; improve access from Acadia to Cool Ideas shops. 27 Great place to walk a dog and run into neighbours. What do Acadia residents have to say? We 1. Dedicated bike lanes: Acadia Drive, Fairmount 9. Micro-grocery: install satellite grocery stores that 15. IKEA Access: ramp or stairs down the hill. 10 Sidewalks narrow; high speed trafc; noisy; rounded up their ‘Hot Spots’ and ‘Cool Ideas’ for Drive and Bonaventure Drive. are walkable for residents, particularly seniors and businesses have their backs to street - 28 No pedestrian access between Southland and making their neighbourhood more active. What children. You could text in your order. 16. Blackfoot Crossing: Punch a hole through the opportunity for better pedestrian access; lots of Heritage. did people say? 2. Bike Route: Create a safe, continuous bike route sound wall at the intersection; will provide access room for wider sidewalks/bike lanes. that connects parks, Bow River Pathway, and 10. Micro-convenience: install small convenience to shopping and walk-to-work opportunities. 29 No pedestrian access across Blackfoot at this “My vision for Acadia: safe, continuous, straight C-Train. stores that are walkable; could be stocked with 11 Convenient for shopping and walkable. intersection, due to soundwall. routes making recreational riding, access to everything you need to fix a bike. 17. Trees for Trafc-Calming: for example on 88th, line C-Train, and light shopping trips easy.” 3. De-fencing: Remove chain link fences in Acadia. the sides of the streets with trees to encourage 12 Uncomfortable crossing by bike/foot; Southland 30 Great local amenity; create more pedestrian 11. Shared Space: create a plaza area for shopping, slower driving speeds. very busy; main access to Willow Park. and cycling access. “We need a cofee shop. We would love to fill all 4. Fences and Street Calming: Instead of concrete eating and hanging out that’s open to vehicles, that empty space at Heritage and Macleod with 13 Improve aesthetic of trafc calming measures 31 Uncomfortable to cross by bike/foot; high- barriers, hedges or cement flower boxes. pedestrians and bicycles. 18. Public Washrooms: Install them along routes to businesses.” (eg. cement barriers). speed trafc at major interchange; main access major destinations, like parks and shopping. to Bow River. 5. Dog Obstacle Course (in dog park) 12. Portable Cofee: Install temporary cafes residents “People come to the community garden because 14 High speed trafc & related safety concerns; can walk to (portables or food trucks). Include an 19. Arlington Park: great place for a community garden it is a destination. We need more benches, picnic curbside passing due to wide road; lack of 32 Bike paths are convenient; improve aesthetic tables, gathering places, BBQs, bike racks, and 6. Snow plowing: Stop plowing residential streets; the area where people can tie up their dogs - lots of and skating rink dedicated cycling infrastructure; lots of schools and heat island efect. bike fixing stations in Acadia.” snow just gets plowed into the curb cuts. dogs here! and seniors. 20. Wayfinding: Create a system of signs designed to 33 Great local amenity; improve bike access. To the right are ideas residents shared to make 7. Transform some schools into retirement homes: 13. Community gardens: more of them! be seen by pedestrians and cyclists. 15 Personal safety concerns. Acadia more walkable, accessible and functional. help seniors stay in their neighbourhood. 34 Great place for random conversations. 14. Acadia Village Mall: create a shared space; 21. Pave gravel service road along LRT for cycling. 16 Improve pedestrian safety, as this is a popular 8. Schools as community hubs: to make amenities experiment with a portable café, outdoor furniture place to cross the street. beneficial to all residents. and a community garden. 17 Improve cycling/pedestrian safety; high trafc speed; history of collisions. FAIRVIEW Superstore

DEERFOOT Heritage Drive MEADOWS

IKEA HAYSBORO Blackfoot Trail Coop

Andrew Acadia Davidson Recreation Lord Complex Beaverbrook

High School B

LRT South

O ACADIA W Deerfoot Trail Rona David T ompson R I V Walmart Macleod Trail Acadia School

Fairmont Drive Foundation for the Future Charter Canadian Tire Superstore Southland Drive St.Cecilia

Acadia Drive

WILLOW PARK NORTH

Resident Priorities: Neighbourhood Overview

• Vehicle speed • Barriers to pedestrian travel (eg. Acadia is a community of large trees, of long-term the highest number of schools of any community in • Aesthetics + Efectiveness of fences, loading zones, etc.) residents and of new families - described as “Norman Calgary (9), which intensifies local trafc, and seniors current trafc calming devices • Access to LRT Rockwell-esque” by one resident. It is a community of nearly double the Calgary average. Combined with volunteers, whether driving seniors, working charity its proximity to transit and shopping destinations, this • Sidewalk width + proximity to streets • Access to parks (Sue Higgins, casinos or spearheading the Acadia Community emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality • Lack of Cycling infrastructure/ Fish Creek, Glenmore) Garden and Art Society, which is currently going into pedestrian infrastructure in Acadia. Separated Paths • Access to river its 4th year. Their collection of raised beds and little Acadia has been advocating since at least 2006 to library have quickly become a community hub! The • Cultural attitudes towards cyclists • Access to shopping districts bring trafc calming measures to the community. In neighbourhood is also a major recreation hub for 2013, Safer Calgary was invited to become involved, • Seniors’ resources and amenities • Scale/height of new housing development surrounding communities, ofering curling, skating, and Active Neighbourhoods followed suit in 2015. tennis and swimming facilities, and it sits adjacent to In the meantime, the ACA has led creative initiatives • Safety: children and seniors; major shopping destinations on McLeod Trail and two pedestrians and cyclists to calm trafc and create vibrant community spaces. LRT stations. In 2016, for example, the Acadia Neighbour Day Fair Typical of its era, the neighbourhood is residential on was held on Acadia Drive without closing the road, the inside with large centralized green spaces, and it which attracted many residents and elicited great is bordered by major streets that house shopping and conversation. Acadia is a community anticipating amenities. Fairmount Drive and Acadia Drive – home development pressure, facing trafc speed issues, to seniors’ housing, schools and daycare – bisect the experiencing limited access to amenities, and armed neighbourhood and also see heavy, high-speed trafc. with an appetite for experimentation. Residents have expressed concerns about pedestrian safety along these busier streets. Residents have also expressed a lack of safe pedestrian and bicycle access to River, and surrounding parks, despite their proximity. By pinching the landscape on either side of Acadia, the river and reservoir intensify north- south trafc through the major roads that frame Acadia. Residents have reported high rates of cut- through trafc, high speeds, and associated collisions. They also experience reduced east-west flow, thus experiencing some disadvantages of being hugged by water, without fully reaping the benefits. Acadia is home to more people who are less likely to drive, and who are more vulnerable street users: it has