By Tim Schaefer, Sunnyside resident
Calgary’s pathways and bikeways offer an extensive network that many Hillhurst Sunnyside residents enjoy. However, the City’s 2020 Transportation Plan describes the current network as one that only serves “recreational users as well as confident and dedicated cyclists”.
Photo of child biking in an unsafe painted bicycle gutter. Credit: Tom Flood
To address this feedback the City created the 5A Network plan, where the five A’s stand for: Always Available for All Ages and Abilities. The purpose of 5A is to evolve Calgary’s pathways and bikeways to be more inclusive, have broader use and fewer barriers. In other words, increase the number of non-recreational users who wouldn’t identify themselves as confident and dedicated riders.
Update: The good news from a 5A Network perspective is we will see bikeways and walkways evolve and emerge in Hillhurst Sunnyside this year!
The City of Calgary’s Kensington Area Improvement initiative will be bringing investment to 2 Ave, 3 Ave and 4 Ave NW. The result will be bikeways and walkways on these Sunnyside streets that will be more welcoming to children, seniors and people with mobility challenges.
These particular streets are important because they provide connections to important destinations within our neighbourhood such as the Sunnyside School, ContainR park, the Sunnyside LRT station and businesses in Kensington.
Implementing this initiative will mean these streets will change. Excessively wide streets will have vehicle lanes narrowed so their design-speed matches our residential speed limit. In the space that is created from the narrowing vehicle lanes, protected bike lanes or wider sidewalks will be built.
Photo of three generations of women riding on a safe separated bike lane in Calgary. Credit: C Page
If you park your vehicle on these streets, the exact spot you park will likely be different. When these changes come, please keep in mind the safe and inclusive opportunity it will create for people in our neighbourhood. People like the kid next door who is one of 120 elementary school children who attend Sunnyside School. Or, people like the grandparents across the street who’ve been hesitant to ride their bike or trike to the grocery store because they don’t feel safe riding on busy streets.
Providing the freedom for all ages and abilities to be actively mobile anytime in a safe environment will be a great exercise in removing the societal barriers. It will also promote physical activity, build vibrancy in our community and most importantly demonstrate that we value the safety of people who choose to be actively mobile.
There is a lot going on in our community. For them most current, up-to-date updates sign up for our Mighty Network Portal. You can sign up at https://www.hsca.ca/mighty-networks
To read the full details of the 5A Network, follow this link: