North Central BRT and Mobility Studies April 2021
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Green Line LRT What we heard: North Central BRT and Mobility Studies April 2021 What we heard: North Central BRT and Mobility Studies - Phase 2 Green Line LRT What we heard: North Central BRT and Mobility studies April 2021 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 4 PROJECT OVERVIEW: NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY AND NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY ................................... 6 NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY ............................................................................................................................................... 6 NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY ........................................................................................................................................ 8 ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 9 ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................................... 9 ENGAGEMENT APPROACH .................................................................................................................................................... 9 TARGET AUDIENCES .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND CULTURE ................................................................................................................. 10 ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND PARTICIPATION........................................................................................................................... 11 EVENT PROMOTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 12 WHAT WE ASKED AND WHAT WE HEARD: NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY............................................................... 13 PHASE 2A: WHAT WE ASKED .............................................................................................................................................. 13 PHASE 2A: WHAT WE HEARD ............................................................................................................................................. 13 PHASE 2A: KEY THEMES ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 PHASE 2B: WHAT WE ASKED .............................................................................................................................................. 17 PHASE 2B: WHAT WE HEARD .............................................................................................................................................. 17 PHASE 2B: KEY THEMES ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 WHAT WE ASKED AND WHAT WE HEARD: NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY...................................................... 20 PHASE 2A: WHAT WE ASKED .............................................................................................................................................. 20 PHASE 2A: WHAT WE HEARD ............................................................................................................................................. 20 PHASE 2A: KEY THEMES ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 PHASE 2B: WHAT WE ASKED .............................................................................................................................................. 26 PHASE 2B: WHAT WE HEARD .............................................................................................................................................. 26 PHASE 2B: KEY THEMES ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................................... 29 APPENDIX A: DETAILED SUMMARIES: NORTH CENTRAL BRT AND MOBILITY STUDIES ........................................... 30 BRT ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 30 MOBILITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 35 APPENDIX B: VERBATIM COMMENTS .................................................................................................................. 38 2/103 Green Line LRT What we heard: North Central BRT and Mobility studies April 2021 NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY: PHASE 2A .............................................................................................................................. 38 NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY: PHASE 2B .............................................................................................................................. 50 NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY: PHASE 2A ...................................................................................................................... 55 NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY: PHASE 2B ...................................................................................................................... 77 APPENDIX C: COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM ONLINE OPEN HOUSES ........................................................... 81 APPENDIX D: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... 93 NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY: PHASE 2A .............................................................................................................................. 93 NORTH CENTRAL BRT STUDY: PHASE 2B .............................................................................................................................. 95 NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY: PHASE 2A ...................................................................................................................... 98 NORTH CENTRAL MOBILITY STUDY: PHASE 2B .................................................................................................................... 101 3/103 Green Line LRT What we heard: North Central BRT and Mobility studies April 2021 Executive summary In June 2020, City Council approved the updated plan for Green Line Light Rail Transit (LRT), which involves changes to travel in north central Calgary (16 Avenue N to North Pointe). The North Central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Mobility Studies will help The City understand people’s current travel habits and how they might change with the introduction of new LRT and updated BRT service. The North Central Mobility Study is being conducted to understand how travel patterns may change as a result of Green Line operations and BRT services on opening day, and into the future. The North Central BRT Study will consider improvements from downtown Calgary along the existing Centre Street N and Harvest Hills Boulevard route to 160 Avenue N. Bringing improved BRT service to north Calgary goes hand in hand with improving the overall transportation network to accommodate the future Green Line LRT and BRT services – with the goal of supporting better mobility throughout north central Calgary. For this reason, The City conducted engagement for these studies concurrently and are sharing the results of both studies in this report. During the fall of 2020, The City conducted public engagement to inform the progression of these two studies. Over the course of this engagement, The City heard that Calgarians are interested in: • BRT enhancements: • Improved BRT service along the Centre Street N and Harvest Hills Blvd route. • Improved BRT station amenities, e.g., comfortable, safe, and well-lit stations that are accessible and designed for all seasons. • Interest in roadway options for the different route segments. • Mobility network improvements: • Identification of daily travel routes for all transportation modes and improvements needed. • Addressing traffic ‘hotspots’ to allow for improved mobility. • Desire to understand impacts of cut-through traffic and interest in maintaining traffic calming in residential neighbourhoods. • Desire for more east-west connections for all transportation modes. Following the fall engagement, The City undertook further engagement in winter 2021. This was divided into two phases, with engagement for the BRT and Mobility studies happening simultaneously: • Phase 2a: January 28 – February 10, 2021 • Phase 2b: March 15 – 25, 2021 Engagement included online engagement opportunities, virtual presentations and three online drop-in open house events. The City shared these opportunities broadly through social media, e-newsletters, print material distribution, road signs, transit ads and direct outreach. During the engagement period, several themes emerged