Driving down Stoney Trail from Tuscany today I noticed the new signs up for the Stoney/Nose Hill Interchange. Folks at the south corners of Tuscany and Scenic Acres will soon start to see some of the initial work for this project. Completion is slated for fall 2014.

 

There will be a temporary detour down to Bearspaw Dam Road during construction as well so a couple different phases ahead. I'm sure it will be an adjustment for a while, but will be a great additition to the transportation improvements in the outer NW area.

 

For site information, plans, updates and info can be found on the Government of Alberta Transportation Project site for the Stone Trail / Nose Hill Drive Interchange.

 

For a detail of stages, elevations, etc check out the Independent Functional Review Presentation.

The City of Calgary website has a new look and it has been great to help find more info on what is happening in our city.

 

One update I noticed is a lot more information posted regarding the NW LRT Extension to Tuscany/ Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak.

From new bus routes, pedestrian routes and pathways, maps, landscaping plans, lighting info, etc I think most everything people are looking for is found here.

 

There is one link on the page to range of benefits to the station. Over 6500 people live within 800m of the station and the populations of Tuscany, Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak is now listed at over 36,000.

 

Lots of folks have had transportation and access as top of their priority lists so such expansions by the city are awesome to see.  With the Schooner Landing pedestrian bridge between Tuscany and Scenic Acres also under construction, the improved access to transit and bike paths will make the popular community of Tuscany even better.

As work continues on the West LRT project, Calgary Transit has posted open house dates to inform folks about future bus services.

 

"Calgary Transit invites you to attend a public information session to review proposed bus route plans to serve Southwest Calgary when the West LRT opens in 2012. Residents are welcome to attend any open house session. Calgary Transit staff with be available to answer questions." - Full details and open house dates

 

The West LRT website also provides great information regarding the new LRT line, construction and traffic updates. Check out some of the time lapse videos of the LRT construction (further down on the media page). They are pretty cool and impressive even for non-engineering folks.

So as most of you know, I work with a lot of buyers. I help folks find all sorts of homes with all sorts of unique requirements.   I am happy to say there have been a number of happy folks so far this year and I hope to work with many more.
 
One of the main topics of conversation and requirements has been around transportation and finding homes that accommodate people's desire to use transit, bikes and other alternate forms of transportation.  Some if it motivated by the cost of gasoline and parking and some just by a motivation to make alternate choices.
 
In keeping with the theme I thought I'd provide you all with some of the great resources out there to help you find your way around Calgary.
 
1. Transit - The ongoing expansion of the city transit and LRT systems is allowing more and more folks to take transit and the LRT on a regular basis. Check out the various routes for your neighbourhood -  Calgary Transit Website

A great resource for finding specific bus stops near homes is actually google maps. Type in an address and zoom in a couple of times and small blue icons for bus stops appear at the stop location on the map. Clicking on the icon provides you the bus number that services that stop and the stop name which you can look up on the Calgary Transit Website.

 

As wel,l the West LRT construction is ongoing. Check out the West LRT website for ongoing info and station plans.

 
2. Bike Paths -  The City of Calgary provides an interactive bicycle pathways map which shows all the current paths in the city. Alternatively, this huge PDF also shows the info but it maxes out the memory on some machines on viewing. - Calgary Bicycle Pathways Map Download
 
3. Walking - So althought Calgary's weather isn't always so accommodating, many folks walk to work from homes in the inner city to the downtown core during much of the year.  The walk along the Bow in the morning is a beautiful way to start and end your day if you are considering a home in Kensington or other inner city neighbourhoods. 
 
Have other great suggestions to pass along? Either comment below or email me at info@monikafurtado.com and I am happy to share.

 

Lots of folks inquire about the new LRT station to be built in by 2014 in Tuscany/ Royal Oak/ Rocky Ridge.

 

The City of Calgary website provides detailed information such as landscape plans, planning information and site design.

 

As well, they recently published the proprosed bus routes for the new station.  It is in draft but it will give folks a great idea of what to expect.  It also shows all the existing routes so you can see how your commute will look today and in a couple of years with the opening of our new LRT station.

All residents of Tuscany, Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak are receiving this newsletter regarding the LRT Extension to our communities in NW Calgary.

 

The project website for the extension also has updated information regarding parking layouts, landscaping, pathway (bike) access, station name, sustainability, station concept and project timeline.

 

Bridging many area communities is the Pathway Connection system.

 

 

The focus on sustainability has also resulted in some great numbers in terms of long term conservation and sustainabilty for the station vs a typical light rail transit station:

50% less water use, 66% less natural gas use and 21% less electricity use

 

Check out the details regarding sustainability at the Tuscany Station.

 

Like many folks I am looking forward to seeing this project progress and appreciate the ongoing communication regarding developments in the project from the project team.

 

Reading through the West LRT website, I came across the route animation for the west LRT.

For folks that have been asking me about routes, stops, etc, this is a great resource to see exactly where the LRT will go, where stops will be and how it will all look.  

 

The site also provides additional information on the Sarcee Interchange, West Calgary High School, Shaganappi Point Golf Course, Telus World of Science, construction and ongoing updates.

 

With such a an exciting new project coming to the west side of Calgary, give me a call if this area is one you would now consider when looking for your new home.

Preliminary grading work for the Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak and Tuscany LRT Extension has just begun.

 

Although LRT construction is not scheduled to begin until 2012, The City has chosen to take advantage of the material available from the Stoney Trail/Crowchild Trail interchange construction and use it to build up the Tuscany Park and Ride site. This will save time and money for both The City and the Province as a result of reduced transport and storage costs.

 

The project will also be hosting two upcoming Open Houes to provide more information to the public about the LRT Extension. The first Open House is to be on June 10 from 5-8pm at hte Rocky Ridge Ranch Homeowners Association located at 10709 Rocky Ridge Blvd NW. The second is to be held on Tuesday, June 15 from 5-8pm at hte Tuscany Elementary School located at 990 Tuscany Drive NW.

 

Attendees will have an opportunity to view preliminary landscaping and pathway connections plans, the final station design and updated parking facility layouts, and to provide comment on the proposed station name. Transportation Infrastructure staff will be in attendance to answer questions about the project.

 

For more information on the LRT expansion to the NW visit the project blog.

The signs have been up for a while and the date is soon approaching. April 10 is the official closure date for Rocky Ridge Road to Crowchild Trail.

 

The closure is due to the design requirements of the Stoney Trail / Crowchild Trail interchange project as well as the LRT expansion to Tuscany / Rocky Ridge / Royal Oak.

 

For more information regarding the project history and other associated traffic changes with this closure please visit the City of Calgary site regarding this project.

 

Last week the project team for the LRT Expansion posted new concept drawings for the new CTrain station as well as changes to the bus shelter designs. This station is intended to be a community station primarily serving those living and working in Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak and Tuscany.

 

These updates as well as ongoing future updates can be found on the project blog. The NW LRT Extension to Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak and Tuscany is expected to be complete in 2014. More detailed information about the project can also be found on the City of Calgary project site.

Major construction has been underway for some time at the intersection of Stoney Trail NW and Crowchild Trail.  If you are wondering what the final plan looks like, all planned drawings are available at the Government of Canada Transportation site for the project.

 

There has been a great deal of construction in and around the area lately including the construction of a pedestrian bridge between Royal Oak and Arbour Lake across Stoney Trail NW as well as the opening of the interchange which connects Scenic Acres Link and Tuscany Boulevard to Stoney Trail NW.

 

While the construction may at times cause a delay, it is great to see investment into the infrustructure around our community.

The northeast portion of the Calgary ring road opened last week connecting the recenty finished northwest portion across Deerfoot Trail all the way around the east side of the city.  I drove from Tuscany to Deerfoot  Trail on the way to the airport in 15-20 minutes.  This is awesome and a huge improvement to previous options along Country Hills or down John Laurie to McKnight.  This new transportation route opens up new areas to consider for those working in the NE of the city.  For more information visit the Government of Alberta Ministry of Transportation site: http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/804.htm