Final recommendations approved by Transportation and Transit Committee

The final Airport Transit Study recommendations were presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit on June 24, 2020. These recommendations have been approved as amended at the Committee meeting and were approved by City Council in Summer 2020.

You can view a copy of the presentation, meeting minutes and video on the City Clerk’s webpage.

The City of Calgary has undertaken a study to develop functional-level plans for a cross-town transit connection between the Green Line and Blue Line, with a connection to the Calgary International Airport (YYC).

The Airport Transit Study provides recommendations for:

• Transit technology
• Route alignment, as well as number and location of potential stations, between the future 96 Avenue N.E. Green Line station and 19 Street N.E.
• Location for a maintenance and storage facility
• Land requirements
• Staging plan and cost estimates

We are conducting this study now to ensure the future airport connection is:

• Coordinated with the pre-design planning for the Blue Line extension that is currently underway
• Aligned with the updated functional plan for Green Line
• Accommodated in the Aurora Business Park Outline Plan update
• Considered in the Airport Authority Master Plan update (ongoing)

There is currently no funding for the design or construction of this connection.

The Airport Transit Study began in 2017. To build a solid foundation for the project, and to ensure we were able to engage the public in a meaningful way, we have:

• Worked with the Calgary International Airport to understand their future plans
• Conducted research to:
  • Understand unique ridership projections associated with airport travel
  • Investigate airports across North America with rail connections to understand their peak periods and ridership
• Consulted industry experts in airport transit

• Understand technical constraints unique to the airport (e.g. NAV CANADA requirements, Airport Tunnel)
• Screen technology options to short-list those that can accommodate future ridership, have been proven to operate in weather conditions similar to Calgary, and address technical constraints

In addition to the above, we also engaged stakeholders and the public in reviewing and selecting the recommended technology, alignment and station locations

In Phase 1, The City sought input from the public and stakeholders on criteria that should be considered when making decisions about technology, alignment and station locations, as well as general concerns and ideas.

In Phase 2, The City presented the technology, alignment and station location options that were considered. We showed how each of the options addressed the criteria stakeholders and the public identified as important in Phase 1, as well as how well each option met The City’s technical criteria. Stakeholders and the public were then asked for feedback on the study recommendations.

To view the study recommendations, please see the presentation materials. This concludes the public engagement for this project.

Several technologies used around the world were screened and short-listed using the following criteria (among others):

• Capacity: can the technology meet ridership demands in the future?
• Proven technology: is it reliable? Can it operate in a climate like Calgary’s and is it being used elsewhere successfully?
• Technical constraints: does it meet NAV CANADA restrictions? Does it integrate with existing LRT technology and can it fit in the Airport Tunnel?

This technical analysis has resulted in the following technologies being put forward for further consideration:

The alignment and station locations for the connection between the Green Line and Blue Line has been set east of 19 Street N.E. through previous Council-approved functional plans. The alignment and station locations from 19 Street N.E. to the future 96 Avenue N.E. Green Line station will be recommended as part of this study.

The following are some of the criteria that will be used to evaluate alignment options (among others).

This online opportunity to provide feedback on the project recommendations will be open from June 24 to July 9, 2019.

In Phase 1, the Airport Transit Study team sought input from the public on:

• Public, customer and community study goals
• Considerations for determining:
  
  • Transit technology
  • Route alignment between the Green Line and 19 Street N.E.
  • Station locations between the Green Line and 19 Street N.E.
• Concerns and opportunities

Through this engagement process and extensive technical analysis, the following recommendations for a transit technology, route alignment and station locations, are being proposed. We would like to hear your feedback as your input will help us finalize the recommendations.

View the Airport Transit Study Phase 2 Open House boards.

Reading through the information and providing your feedback should only take about 15 minutes.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Airport Transit Study and for sharing your thoughts with us!

ਇਸ ਨੋਟਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵਿਤ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਹੋ।
Feedback on this project needs to be submitted in English.

Next steps

The project team will be finalizing the project recommendations and presenting them to Council in Fall/Winter 2019. This will conclude the Airport Transit Study.