It appears the potential inter-municipal bike path between Airdrie and Calgary will not be constructed anytime soon, according to a recent discussion involving Rocky View County (RVC) councillors.
RVC planner Jessica Anderson informed committee members at the County’s April 4 Governance Committee meeting that although the Trans Canada Trail Airdrie to Calgary Feasibility Study was completed, there was clearly no desire expressed by RVC’s municipal partners, the City of Airdrie and the City of Calgary, to move forward with budgeting for the development of the trail at this time.
Anderson recommended the Governance Committee receive the feasibility study for information and refer the findings to staff to incorporate into the future Active Transportation Plan for the North County, and to a Parks and Open Space Master Plan review.
“Through these projects, public engagement activities, inter-municipal collaboration, alignment identification, pathway development process and facility guidelines, would be considered and incorporated,” she explained. “Budget implications are (also) less significant because the above components are currently resourced through the 2023 (RVC administration) work program.
“As well, by not selecting a route at this time, it may allow council and the committee to consider and provide direction on near and longer term priorities as part of that wider analysis of active transportation with the north portion of the county for all.”
It would also allow the County to defer funding the route planning until a future stage, Anderson added.
Division 5 Coun. Greg Boehlke said he was fine with letting the whole matter rest until a future time when all municipal partners were ready to move forward on creating a new Trans Canada Trail link.
“It looks like our neighbours, both Calgary and Airdrie, kind of want to let it sit,” he said. “And maybe (proceed) down the road as development comes in, and it strikes me this is what they are waiting for – developers to pay for it.”
Division 2 Coun. and Committee Chair Don Kochan asked if staff expected the Governance Committee to recommend a preferred route option for future consideration by RVC council.
Anderson responded it was not necessary at this time.
“Certainly we are happy to take your feedback, and your preferences” she said, “and to take those into consideration. (But) our recommendation before you is that all of the outcomes of the feasibility study would be pulled into this active transportation planning work we will undertake.”
Boehlke then moved that the Governance Committee receive the feasibility study for information. However, he also expressed his preference that the new Trans Canada Trail link follow Nose Creek as it meanders along for approximately three kilometres on the east side of the QEII Highway, and then connect with the existing three-kilometre pathway, which extends from Highway 566 and Range Road 293 to the CrossIron Drive half-interchange at the QEII Highway.
“I think as our neighbours have said, (this route) is pretty obvious,” he stated. “It’s a good one.”
Division 1 Coun. Kevin Hanson concurred with Boehlke, and also expressed his support for the Nose Creek route option.
However, Division 4 Coun. and Committee vice-chair Samanntha Wright said the opinion of two councillors should not be taken as a direction from the committee to staff on the issue.
“We are not bound because we have had two councillors say they like (the Nose Creek option) better than anything else, are we?” she asked. “Or are we just going to explore what’s available, and continue the good work that’s already been done?”
RVC executive director of Community Services Matt Boscariol agreed with Wright’s assessment – that his staff would keep an open mind about all potential routes until a final decision is made in the future.
Committee members then voted unanimously to receive the Trans Canada Feasibility Study for information, and to refer the findings of the study back to staff to incorporate in its planning work.
'Disappointing decision,' says bicycle advocate
Cycling infrastructure advocate and Calgary resident Matthew Hicks, who originally got the ball rolling on a potential Trans Canada Trail link up between the three municipalities by writing a letter to all three governments, said he was disappointed to hear the news the proposed project would not be going forward more quickly now that the feasibility study was completed.
“It’s a disappointing decision, because its such a small budget item," Hicks told the Rocky View Weekly. "We are talking about a transportation item which costs, according to the feasibility study, between one and $2.5 million. And we have got a new interchange going in at 40th Avenue (in Airdrie) which is costing nearly $100 million, and one at Balzac which is costing $148 million. So [a bike path] is really just a drop in the bucket.”
Hicks said he was also disappointed that the three municipalities couldn't find a way to cooperate on a simple pathway that he argues would benefit all their residents, particularly after local representatives originally spoke in such glowing terms about the possibilities of a Trans Canada Trail link.
“I am kind of disappointed that cooperation appears to just not be happening," he said.
When reached for comment, the City of Airdrie provided a brief statement to the City View on the status of the project:
"We look forward to continuing to work with Rocky View County and the City of Calgary to explore preferred routes for the Trans Canada Trail and provide recommendations for near and long-term options," the email read.
