Why Tuscany Station?

We’ve been getting some questions about why Tuscany Station is the proposed name for the station, and not Rocky Ridge Station or Eamon Station or Tuscany/Rocky Ridge Station. Below you’ll find some information about how stations are named, and the process by which Tuscany Station came to be suggested for this extension.

When it comes to naming LRT stations, or any other infrastructure for that matter, City Administration refer to the Municipal Naming Policy and the Municipal Names Committee for direction.

With the general rule that LRT stations should be named for their geographic location or proximity to a significant landmark, Calgary Transit, the Municipal Names Committee and City Council often endorse names of adjacent communities. Since no name had been assigned to this station when the funding was announced, the project team felt it was an excellent opportunity to solicit feedback from residents. At the initial open houses held in June 2008, attendees were asked to provide suggestions.

Many names were put forward, but no clear leader emerged. (A complete list of suggestions is available in the open house summary.) Each community showed a preference for naming the station after their own community, and Mountainview Station was frequently suggested but does not reflect a geographic or easily identifiable area. A few people also commented about their displeasure with hyphenated names. Calgary Transit agrees, and is moving away from hyphenated names because they can be unclear and confuse riders. Hyphenated names also don’t fit well on electronic banners and signage.

Several names were considered and discussed with the Community Consultation Committee (CCC), including Stoney Trail Station and Eamon Station. The CCC felt Stoney Trail Station was not representative of the location since Stoney Trail will ultimately circle the city, and Eamon Station resonates with community residents but not with citizens at large. With two distinct communities (Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak) on the north side forming too long a name when combined together, Tuscany station began to emerge as the preferred name. It meets the criteria for a clear, and geographically identifiable name.

One additional item that resonated with the CCC was the fact that the previous three stations were all named for the communities (or areas) on the north side of Crowchild Trail (Crowfoot, Dalhousie and Brentwood). The CCC, Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak Community Association, and Tuscany Community Association support the name Tuscany Station. Do you? Fill out your feedback form here.

~ Erin Russell, Project Communications