Landscaping plans, parking facility layouts, and station name for public input

If you missed the open houses in June, there’s still an opportunity to provide your input. This newsletter will be delivered to residents in Tuscany, Royal Oak, and Rocky Ridge the week of August 9. We wanted give folks not particularly inclined to attend open houses the same opportunity to provide their feedback, so you’ll find all of the plans available on the project web page. You can also download a feedback form and fax or email it in (as directed on the back of the page), or you can answer the questions online.

Landscaping
These preliminary landscaping plans (click here to view Tuscany or Rocky Ridge) have been developed with several purposes in mind: aesthetics and beautification of the site, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), stormwater retention, and wind screening in some areas. The location and type of landscaping has been carefully designed to provide some screening from the wind and for adjacent residents, while maintaining an open feeling that enhances security and provides a pleasant experience for Calgary Transit customers.

Some features to look for include:
• Rain Garden Beds
• Location of bike racks and lockers
• Proposed bike lanes in Rocky Ridge
• General pedestrian and cyclist movements to and from the station

Pathways and bike lanes
As part of the continuing City-wide focus on pedestrians and cyclists, the project team has paid particular attention to the pathway and bicycle connections in and around the station. Designated bike lanes are proposed in Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak, and all of the pathway and sidewalk connections linking to the station have been designed (or reviewed if they already exist) to ensure they can accommodate multi-user traffic when necessary. The pathways and bike lanes immediately adjacent to the station can be seen in the landscaping plans.

Station Name
Under The City's Municipal Naming Policy, LRT stations are to be named for their geographical location or proximity to a significant landmark. Administration makes a recommendation for a name and submits a report to the Municipal Names Committee. The Committee then reviews the report and determines if it should be forwarded to Council for approval.

The Community Consultation Committee representing the communities of Rocky Ridge, Royal Oak, and Tuscany have suggested the name Tuscany Station. At the most recent open houses in June 2009 and 2010, the majority of attendees that filled out comment sheets also supported this name.

Please see Why Tuscany Station for additional details on the proposed station name.

Focus on Sustainability
At the beginning of this project, the project team, The City of Calgary, and the community identified sustainability as a key element for success. Sustainable design has been considered and investigated throughout the project, incorporating The City's Sustainability Principles as outlined in Plan It Calgary.

Several areas within the Park and Ride and bus terminal facilities have been identified to implement bioswales, also known as Rain Garden Beds. Rain Garden Beds are similar to stormwater retention ponds in that they provide storage for run-off from the paved parking areas.

The Rain Garden Bed is a shallow ditch with an engineered base and specific vegetation that helps slow down and reduce the amount of water entering the stormsewer system, as well as filter the water before discharge removing silt, salts and hydrocarbons. During typical rain events most of the water will be retained in the beds and absorbed by the plantings.

Station concept
Station design is nearing completion. Many stakeholders have had a positive impact on the design including the Community Consultation Committee, residents, Access Calgary, Calgary Transit, and the Calgary Police Department. A post on the final station design including some new renderings will be up in late August.

Schedule
In May 2009 City Council approved a budget update to reflect the current economy, and changes to Provincial funding. The overall project budget was increased to $115 million based on the preliminary design estimate. Although total project funding has increased, the timing of distribution has changed. As a result, this project is currently scheduled for completion in 2014 based on the projected funding availability in the coming years.

Please see Project Timeline for more information.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to leave your remarks here or call 3-1-1 and we'll be sure to get back to you.

~Erin Russell, Project Communications