New bike lane installed on Crescent Road in northwest Calgary

A new bike lane was recently installed on Crescent Road in northwest Calgary. Crescent road has gone from complete closure in April, to reopening in October with a narrow temporary active transport lane, to a widened permanent lane in December. We appreciate the City’s quick response in this beautiful area, and look forward to seeing the same in other locations.

Crescent Road has gone through several phases since March. Near the beginning of the pandemic, the whole road (from Centre St to 6A St NW) was closed to motor vehicle traffic and many Calgarians took advantage of the wide space to walk, run, skateboard, ride their bikes, watch physically-distanced fireworks, take in views of the river and the downtown skyline, and generally have a great time.

In late October, the City decided to reopen the street to vehicles, while reserving a narrow portion of the south side to active users. They installed temporary orange fences to separate the vehicles from others. The local community association was frustrated with this situation, as they saw the many benefits that the road closure provided.

Happily, it seems the City has now found a middle ground: they have widened the separated lane and installed permanent dividers. One of our Bike Calgary volunteers was up there to have a look and was pleased to see:

• The lane is very wide, allowing room for different users to pass each other safely.
• Motorists were maintaining a slow driving speed, in part due to the posted 30 km/h limit, but also likely due to the narrower road. This keeps people and pets safe as they move to and from their dedicated spaces.

While we would appreciate more diligent maintenance (see the ice-packed active transport lane next to a fully-cleared vehicle lane), we are grateful for this additional separated space for Calgarians to safely get outside and enjoy the magnificent views our city has to offer.