"A win for biking": Calgary City Council invests tens of millions in pathway network

Calgary’s often been called a city that’s built for cars, but recently, Doug Clark has noticed a difference in the way people get around.

He’s the president of Bike Calgary, a non-profit organization that formed in the late 2000s in an effort to better the way people commute.

For years, those efforts saw improvements, with the City of Calgary investing in infrastructure and developing plans to make options like walking and biking more viable.

They got another boost last week in the form of $40 million in municipal funding for the 5A, or the Always Available for All Ages and Abilities network.

It’s something the organization said was “a win for biking.”

“We’re seeing more and more folks in their 20s that are trying to live in the city without even owning a vehicle, or maybe only just one vehicle,” he told Daily Hive Urbanized.

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5A is a citywide mobility network made up of off-street pathways, on-street bikeways, and safer crossings.

It got a lot of attention during last week’s city council meeting, with a lot of cyclists and advocates vying for investments towards infrastructure and plans for non-motorized travel.

Brenna, a Bike Calgary volunteer will be speaking at council for the first time tomorrow to talk about why she commutes on a bike. Check out her story and join her in speaking to #yyccc tomorrow! #yycbike https://t.co/SJlvLk8akN

— Bike Calgary (@bikecalgary) November 20, 2023

Council committed to longer-term developments for the network during that meeting.

The City says that while its network of on-street bike lanes and off-street pathways is extensive, more connections are needed to workplaces, schools, parks, and local areas.

Clark agrees, and says it shouldn’t be limited to the inner city and its surrounding areas.

“You have people all over the city that are trying to get around, kids getting to school, in all communities,” he said.

“Especially when cars are moving, 40,50, 60 kilometres an hour and higher. Those are clearly not environments that cyclists, and pedestrians for that matter, should be sharing with two-tonne steel boxes that can collide with you.”

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A transportion map of Calgary that includes current and recommended 5A pathways. (City of Calgary)