In April, we will begin Phase 3 of engagement for the Memorial Drive East Functional Planning Study (FPS).
In Phase 3: Reveal, you will be able to:

• Learn about the study background, objectives, process, timelines, and what The City heard from the public in previous phases of engagement.
• View the recommended plan.
• Share your feedback to help us refine the recommended plan.

The engagement portal will be open from April 22 to May 13 for the community to provide feedback.

We will be hosting an Open House on April 24 from 5 to 8:00 p.m. to connect with the community In-person.

• Wednesday, April 24
  5 - 8:00 p.m.
  Eastside City Church
  1320 Abbeydale Drive SE
  Calgary, AB T2A 7L8

Once Phase 3 engagement is complete, we will review your feedback and use it to help refine the recommended plan, which will be finalized and shared with you this summer.

The City is conducting a functional planning study for the extension of Memorial Drive. The roadway extension will provide an important link from the existing communities of Abbeydale and Applewood Park to the east city limits at 116 Street E (at the boundary with Chestermere). The roadway extension is part of The City’s plan to establish better connectivity between communities and businesses on both sides of Stoney Trail.

The roadway extension will include a new crossing of the CN rail line and an east-west overpass across Stoney Trail (without on-or-off-ramps from Stoney Trail).

All options also include connections to the Rotary Mattamy Greenway to enhance active mode connectivity for those walking and wheeling.

In this phase of engagement, we are exploring the CN rail crossing type that would best achieve the goals of the project and needs of the community. A preferred concept will be further refined and presented in Phase 3: Reveal.

During the first phase of engagement, The City asked people who walk, wheel, drive and take transit in the study area to:

• Provide feedback on the project priorities
• Share their ideas, issues, or concerns about the study area

Below is a summary of what we heard from the community and how it was considered when developing the three options for this project:

It is important to note that your input, along with the input of other citizens and interested parties like you, helps The City better understand the perspectives, opinions, and concerns of people affected by City decisions. Public input is collected, where appropriate, and considered along with other factors (like cost, environmental impact, technical limitations and long-range plans/goals) before decisions are made.

During the first round of engagement for the project, the public shared the desire for integrating Stoney Trail access to and from the new Memorial Drive extension.

The City conducted a series of traffic and technical studies to support the development of options for the roadway extension. This included exploring what would be required if creating an access to and from Stoney Trail was an option.

Through the review process, The City learned:

• Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (ATEC) did not select this location as an approved access point when Stoney Trail was originally built.
• Upon review, The City has confirmed that access ramps for Memorial Drive to Stoney Trail cannot fit without impacting the nearby 16 Avenue NE and 17 Avenue SE interchanges and reconfiguring this infrastructure would be very costly.
• Based on the analysis conducted by The City, if a connection to Stoney Trail was created, residential neighborhoods west of Stoney Trail would see an increase in through-traffic and noise on Memorial Drive.

These are the key reasons why access to and from Stoney Trail and the Memorial Drive extension will not be part of the plan.

The extension of Memorial Drive will be designed as an Urban Boulevard so that the street is livable, functional and accessible for all users.

Urban Boulevards are a desirable design for traffic corridors like Memorial Drive because they are designed to:

• Provide separate spaces for all modes of travel (including walking, wheeling, and driving)
• Reduce traffic speeds
• Improve driving, pedestrian, and wheeling safety
• Better integrate with surrounding communities by designing the roadway to allow for roadway facing housing and residential landscaping features

These images show some examples of the features in an Urban Boulevard. The final design of Memorial Drive may differ in some ways but will incorporate many of these elements as well as additional features that fit specifically with the local context.

Through technical analysis of the area, including new and future developments and engagement with key interested parties, The City has developed an Urban Boulevard concept east of 84 Street E. This design will tie into the final option selected for the west segment of this project.

The Urban Boulevard cross-section is designed to integrate with adjacent residential development

The key features of the Urban Boulevard concept include:

• Sidewalks and pathways along both sides of the roadway provide separated spaces for walking and wheeling that accommodate all ages and abilities.
• Four traffic lanes are separated by a median and space is provided for on-street parking in both directions.
• Narrower lane widths and adjacent landscaping encourage slower travel speeds while still accommodating efficient movement of transit and emergency vehicles.
• Landscaping in the boulevards and the median will include trees and greenery along the corridor.
• Public spaces along the roadway will provide opportunities for enhanced community streetscaping.

East of 84 Street E, Memorial Drive will interface with several new communities. At intersections, the urban boulevard concept provides space for all modes of travel.

Major intersections at 84 Street E, 100 Street E and 116 Street E provide access to other areas of the City.

Minor intersections provide access to and from new communities.

Through technical analysis of the area, including new and future developments and consultation with key interested parties The City has developed three design options for the west segment of the study area.

All options include an overpass across the Rotary Mattamy-Greenway and Stoney Trail. The key difference between options is whether Memorial Drive will cross the CN rail tracks with an overpass, an underpass or at-grade. These options have been formed based on our technical estimates that approximately 35,000 vehicles will use this infrastructure daily once the Belvedere ASP is fully built out. The community’s feedback about the crossing options will help us decide which one to take forward and explore further.

Option 1 enhances safety and mobility along the corridor with an overpass at the CN tracks and overpasses across the Rotary Mattamy Greenway and Stoney Trail.

Key features, benefits, and challenges of the overpass option are noted next to each option view.

Option 2 enhances safety and mobility along the corridor with an underpass at the CN tracks and overpasses across the Rotary Mattamy Greenway and Stoney Trail.

Key features, benefits, and challenges of the underpass option are noted next to each option view.

Option 3 enhances safety and mobility along the corridor with a controlled at-grade railway crossing (with crossing lights, bells and arms) and overpasses across the Rotary Mattamy Greenway and Stoney Trail.

CN does not currently support a new at-grade rail crossing at this location. However, The City could continue to work collaboratively with CN to advance this option if it is found to be advantageous compared to the other options.

Key features, benefits, and challenges of the at-grade option are noted next to each option view.

Once the Phase 2 public engagement process is complete, The City will review feedback from interested parties and public feedback and use it to evaluate the options and select a preferred plan.

The City will then advance design of the preferred plan and explore specifics like noise mitigation options, crossing features and landscaping concepts.

A recommended plan will be presented to the public in Phase 3 - Reveal to allow community members to learn more about the recommendations and provide feedback to help the project team refine the final plan for approval.

Project funding

It is important to note that this project did not receive any construction funding in The City’s recent 2023-2026 Service Plans and Budgets. City Administration will continue to monitor the growth and development intensity of the Belvedere ASP and recommend infrastructure improvements and required servicing support needed in future budget cycles.