Project Description 3 Street SW is a key connector between two major cultural nodes currently undergoing significant transformation – Stephen Avenue and Eau Claire (the Bow River). As the street is aging and is nearing the end of its lifecycle, it is ready for renewal and redevelopment into a more sustainable and inviting streetscape. A streetscape master plan for 3 Street SW will provide a renewed vision for this important multi-modal corridor. It will be a vision that supports the goals of the Greater Downtown Plan by having a streetscape focused on active modes and sustainable green infrastructure. This project looks to develop a streetscape masterplan for the 3 Street SW corridor extending from its southern terminus at 9 Avenue SW, north to the redeveloped Eau Claire Plaza currently under construction.

Project Context

With 3 Street SW needing upgrades to improve aging infrastructure, it is time to transform this community connector into a modernized street for the future that responds to updated policy and the needs of current adjacent projects. The project team has completed a review of current relevant policy, council direction, updated standards and site analysis to provide direction on the design and layout of the street.

Policy Guidelines

• The Greater Downtown Plan: The Greater Downtown Plan’s Vision and Guiding Principles provide a clear roadmap for the future of the area. As part of the River Frontage, Chinatown, and Eau Claire Area, 3 Street SW is identified as an ongoing investment with objectives to significantly improve pedestrian and cyclist connections and vibrancy for thousands of daily commuters, area residents and visitors. There are several projects in this area of downtown including the redevelopment of Eau Claire, the Downtown Flood Barrier, and the Green Line, which influence planning for 3 Street SW. (refer to Eau Claire and Chinatown Strategic investments map from the Greater Downtown Plan below)

• The Eau Claire Public Realm Plan: The Eau Claire Public Realm Plan provides direction on improving Downtown’s interface with the Bow River and improving the character and quality of the connections between the Greater Downtown’s northern communities. This area has a dense proportion of office and commercial uses and is an economic driver for Calgary. It is also home to some of Calgary’s most densely populated communities, all of which are anticipated to continue to grow in population in the future. The plan identifies 2 and 3 Streets SW as the primary conduits for travel between the Core and the Bow River.

• Projects identified in the Eau Claire Public Realm that have been completed or are in progress include: West Eau Claire Park and Promenade, Eau Claire Plaza Redesign, and the Downtown Flood Barrier and Eau Claire Promenade.

• The 5A Network: The 5A Network provides clear direction on how to create a city-wide mobility network that is Always Available for All Ages & Abilities (5A). Its Guiding Principles provide key inputs for how to define success for 3 Street SW Streetscape including separating mobility by their speed and making it easy to use.

Physical Analysis

• The current conditions of 3 Street SW are nearing the end of their lifecycle and are showing signs of aging.
• Mitigation of deteriorating infrastructure is required to minimize property damage, service disruptions and safety risks.
• There are significant adjacent projects underway that are redefining the area’s character and mobility roles of various corridors. These projects including Green Line, Eau Claire Plaza and Stephen Avenue intersect or impact 3 Street SW resulting in changes required.
• Additional underground utilities work currently underway along 3 Street SW will also require a change in the public realm.

Societal change

• With the new office-to-residential conversions in the downtown, there will be a change to how the spaces within the Downtown Core are used by those who live, work, travel, and explore the area.
• We expect to see a significant increase in residential density in the area, which means there will be new demands for more amenities to support this growth.
• Calgary has seen an increase in the use of alternative modes of transportation with more emphasis being placed on active modes, transit and walking. New standards and expectations for alternative modes of travel have emerged since 3 Street SW was last updated.
• Concerns about crime, public safety, and social disorder downtown have been front of mind for Calgarians recently. The 3 Street SW Streetscape will incorporate CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) best practices to address these issues to help improve the sense of safety and security on our streets.

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Developing a streetscape master plan is a critical step to re-envisioning the street and to help inform future development along the corridor when it happens. It also helps ready plans for implementation when the time is right. It is important to have a cohesive and comprehensive plan to achieve the long-term goals for the street as new development, life-cycling and maintenance work occurs for adjacent and overlapping projects.

Several core design ideas serve to guide the development of the 3 Street SW Masterplan. These design ideas help to ensure that development aligns with policy guidelines, physical conditions within the corridor, and what we know about societal changes and priorities that Calgarians care about.

Core Design Ideas

3 Street SW will connect two major cultural nodes undergoing significant improvements: Stephen Avenue and the public spaces at Eau Claire and the Bow River.

Stephen Avenue is our main downtown high street and cultural corridor. Its future design will help grow the Avenue’s cultural and economic vibrancy, making it an even greater destination to tie into.

Eau Claire Plaza, West Eau Claire Park, Eau Claire Promenade and Prince’s Island Park are the central jewels in Calgary’s phenomenal open space network.

Connecting the heart of Downtown to the heart of our open space network with a safe, comfortable and green corridor will make these spaces feel closer and more culturally connected.

Eau Claire Plaza Jaipur Bridge

Stephen Avenue is our Main Downtown High Street and Cultural Corridor

Smoothening the street to accommodate more types of users and more consistent and healthier greenery.

While the chicaning nature of the current configuration on 3 Street SW was intended to slow down traffic and prioritize pedestrians, it does not provide the consistent space needed for a 5A-level wheeling facility or a reliable rhythm of greenery.

The proposed concept for 3 Street SW smoothens the street, creating clear and consistent travel paths for all users, including the needed space for a separate wheeling facility. It also provides near-continuous places for tree planting with enough soil volume for healthy tree growth.

Current and Proposed Design

Providing separation and protection for all users. Clearly defined and separated areas for different users help to improve legibility and safety. The concept design includes an elevated two-way wheeling pathway for cyclists and scooter users alongside generous sidewalks for walking and landscaped areas for street trees, street lights and street furniture.

The goal is to maintain the same quality through the intersections with the use of fully protected intersections.

Examples of Clearly Defined Crossings and Raised Pathways

Using materials and techniques from Eau Claire and Stephen Avenue - The material palette of 3 Street SW will include elements already familiar in the area, creating clear connections between Stephen Avenue and Eau Claire, and coordinating the designs.

Elements that may be used include:

• Custom wood benches are found along the river in West Eau Claire.
• Decorative grasses and trees in landscaped areas between the cycling and walking zones.Multi-head street light fixtures, providing lighting to the roadway and public realm.
• Similarly varied and textured unit pavers, though in a scale and pattern more appropriate for an urban setting.
• Garbage receptacles and bike racks that align with the design language of the benches.
• Wheelchair ramps with wide ramped areas and tactile plates, allow multiple users to access the ramp at once.
• Large caliper trees with ample soil volumes for healthier growing conditions as well as the potential for Low Impact Development integration with the stormwater system.

On-Street Parking - To attain the required space for healthy planting areas and the bi-directional wheeling path, the concept proposes to provide on-street parking within the west side curbside lane.

It is anticipated that the total number of on-street parking and loading stalls along the street would either remain the same or increase slightly.

The context of these two streets has now changed. The Eau Claire Public Realm Plan originally identified 3 and 2 Streets SW as a future complete street couplet, where together, the two streets provide the connections and mobility options required for the neighbourhood. This includes enhanced levels of active modes priority, urban greenery, and downtown livability.

With new transit investment and the alignment of the Green Line now confirmed, 2 Street SW will be re-designed as a pedestrian-focused street with generous pedestrian spaces adjacent to the new developments and transit connections.

The existing development context of 3 ST provides a better environment for active modes because the majority of business entrances face the avenues rather than the street thereby reducing potential points of conflict.

3 Street SW is now being developed as the ideal corridor for more active modes of transportation including separated wheeling infrastructure.

The following images describe how the strategic planning from the Greater Downtown Plan and the Eau Claire Public Realm Plan with the Core Design Ideas is being applied to 3 St SW including the existing and proposed utility constraints. 4 locations are depicted that are reflective of the different block types along the corridor.

Please note this is a concept design to show general design and uses. Final placement of features and amenities will be determined in the detailed design stage.

We have now closed the opportunity for input - the survey was open from April 17 - May 22, 2023.

The What We Heard Report can be viewed here.

• The 3 Street SW master planning project will be wrapping up in Fall 2023.
• The goal is to have a plan in place so that as various upgrades happen, we are prepared with a cohesive street design.
• A follow up What We Did report will be presented here to reflect changes associated to the What We Heard report.