Time for a Motorist Strategy

• Calgary has a bike strategy, a cycle strategy and a pedestrian strategy - it’s time for a motorist strategy!
• The City’s own survey shows traffic is the public’s number one concern

CALGARY, AB: Common Sense Calgary called on City Hall today to develop a motorist strategy. The organization noted growing citizen frustration with congestion in the City and the lack of a plan at City Hall.

The 2015 Citizen Satisfaction Survey clearly indicated that the number one concern among Calgarians is traffic. The concern was even higher than transit and crime. The results are consistent with a survey by Common Sense Calgary in 2013 that concluded a similar finding. Unfortunately, little has been done in the past few years to rectify the situation.

“City Hall has developed a pedestrian strategy, a cycling strategy and a transit strategy, but they still haven’t come up with a motorists’ strategy,” said Common Sense Calgary Executive Director Stephanie Kusie. “Congestion is the number one issue among Calgarians, it’s time for the City to do what citizens want and come up with a strategy to improve the flow of vehicles.”

The City’s latest survey date comes on the heels of the Municipal Development Plan that, in coordination with the Transportation Plan, works to separate the average Calgarian from their vehicle.

“Why does the City continually feel that they have to socially engineer the way Calgarians live?  Most Calgarians want the same thing – a good job, a home for their family, a reasonable commute time…why won’t City hall address the problem,” added Kusie. “Instead, City Hall has removed traffic lanes and has eliminated some parking spots. City Hall isn’t listening to Calgarians, they’re trying to tell Calgarians what to do.”

In the 2013 Monitoring Report, it was reported that the 10^th Core Indicator of Transportation Mode Split that strives to make transit, walking and cycling the preferred mobility choices for mobility was underperforming and that the city was not meeting its targets in this area.

--30--

For further information please contact:

Stephanie Kusie

Executive Director, Common Sense Calgary

Cell: 587-432-7100 Email: [email protected]

About Common Sense Calgary: We strive to be Calgary’s thought leader in objective balance to Calgary City Council; particularly in the areas of housing and development, transportation, crime and most importantly, responsible spending at City Hall. For more information, please visit: http://www.commonsensecalgary.com