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ATAC Statement: Feb 2, 2010.
Our many Associations, including the members of Calgary Federation of Communities, Calgary Hotel Association, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association, Airways Business Association, Calgary Airport Business Association, Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Tourism Calgary, Tourism Industry Association Canada, and community residents have actively worked together in the past year to highlight the need for the Airport Trail Access Tunnel.
Our Associations and many of the public agree on the following:
· It is time to have a BRT/LRT link to the Airport – and the Airport Trail Tunnel is the easiest, lowest cost, and most effective way to accomplish that in a very short timeframe by linking to the existing Calgary east LRT line. Without the Airport Trail Tunnel, LRT to the Airport will not happen for another 25 or more years.
· The Airport Trail Tunnel, linked via Metis Trail expressway, provides a key transportation and economic link for the many hospitality providers and business users in the South Airport Business region to the Airport.
· The Airport Trail Tunnel linked via Metis Trail expressway provides the easiest way to alleviate Deerfoot Trail & McKnight Blvd traffic congestion once Barlow Trail is closed at McKnight Blvd in April 2011 to construct the new Parallel Runway Project. Without this option, the vast majority of the traffic flow will move to Deerfoot Trail to access the Airport, and create substantial additional congestion during peak hours on Deerfoot Trail, which already experiences significant delays between Memorial Drive and Country Hills Blvd interchanges.
· The Airport Trail Tunnel linked to the Stoney Trail on the east via Airport Trail expressway is the most effective way to move goods to the east and southern industrial sections of the City, without impacting residential traffic.
· The cost of building the Airport Trail Tunnel after the new Parallel Runway Project is complete will be substantially above the current proposed maximum cost of $287 million. It is also highly unlikely that the Calgary Airport Authority would agree to limit operation of the new runway to allow construction to proceed on the Tunnel after the new runway is operational.
· Finally, with planned development that will see 100,000+ new residents and millions of square feet of commercial development in the region over the next decade, the future traffic congestion will turn the Calgary Airport into an inner city Airport with very poor access for all Airport users.
ATAC felt we had made progress when the City of Calgary & the Calgary Airport Authority signed an agreement to build the Tunnel as part of the Parallel Runway Project, depending on Federal & Provincial government participation. However, this past week has indicated reluctance on the part of the latter two partners to participate financially in what they view as a belatedly prioritized project by the City of Calgary.
ATAC’s response to this was to meet with Federal Minister, Hon. Jim Prentice and to request a meeting with Provincial Transportation Minister, Hon. Luke Ouellette. Our meeting with Hon. Jim Prentice was a frank and candid discussion of the impacts of not having the Tunnel. We also strongly urged the Federal Government, who in the words of the Minister “have a special relationship with the CAA,” to provide political leadership to find a way to include the Tunnel in the Parallel Runway Project. The Minister gave us his commitment that he will embark on conversations with both the City & the CAA to explore the transportation options available. He also committed to getting back to us within a short while and to setting up a meeting with all parties, including ATAC, to discuss Tunnel options.
At this point, ATAC Associations are calling on all 3 levels of government and the CAA, to urgently meet together and hammer out a way to include the Airport Trail Access Tunnel as part of the Parallel Runway Project. Ignoring the opportunity for an LRT link to the Airport won’t cut it with future generations; glossing over the inevitable traffic congestion and delays for the citizens of Southern Alberta won’t cut it; telling us it’s the City’s problem or the Federal problem, or the Province’s problem, won’t cut it. We are looking for political leadership from all levels – we urge you to sit down in the same room this month, and demonstrate to taxpayers how working together can make it happen.
We call on the CAA to exercise restraint and to act in the best interests of all citizens, even if that delays the new runway by a few months. We call on the CAA Board to put the citizens’ interests ahead of a project timeline – and sit down to an honest hard discussion with the 3 levels of government to ensure the Tunnel is included at the time when it is easiest to build it.
Because, without the Airport Trail Tunnel, building an LRT connection to the Airport is a distant fuzzy dream that only our great-grandchildren might experience. By not including it, the CAA ensures we will experience more traffic congestion, more delays in getting to the Airport, and threatens the livelihood of many who work in the Airport Business & Hospitality region.
A number of our Associations have provided impact statements, and some are here to present them at this time. Following their statements, presenters will be available for interviews.
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George Brookman/Randy Williams, Tourism Calgary & TIAC
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Joseph Clohessey/Curtis Fernets, Calgary Hotel Association
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Michael Sieger, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association
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Donna K. Moore, Canadian Home Builders Association (Calgary Region)
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Derek Burnett, Calgary Pathways & Bikeways Advisory Council
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Leslie Evans, Federation of Calgary Communities
For more information contact:
Grant Galpin, ATAC spokesperson, (403) 615-7597 (403) 615-7597
Rofina Groebmair, ATAC Co-Chair, Communities (403) 650-6068 (403) 650-6068
Click here to view an Information handout
The following is a link for a large map showing the Airport Tunnel as it was envisioned a few years ago. Click on the link to get a large version display:
BACKGROUND - AIRPORT TRAIL ACCESS TUNNEL
In November 2007 we became aware that it was the Calgary Airport Authority’s intention to proceed with construction of their new north-south runway (which includes closing Barlow Trail south airport access) without including construction of the east-west Airport Trail Access Tunnel.
This, of course, raises significant concerns not only for residents and businesses in north east Calgary, but City-wide and regionally as well. Connecting Airport Trail (96th Avenue
) from Deerfoot Trail east to Stoney Trail and beyond is a critical transportation link and has been part of the Calgary Transportation Plan for many years.
Without the Airport Trail East Access through the tunnel, we believe that this decision will impact the City of Calgary negatively in many ways such as:
- Major traffic tie-ups for downtown & south Calgary traffic accessing the Airport via Deerfoot Trail
- With Barlow Trail closed just above McKnight Blvd, most, if not all, existing Barlow Trail traffic that travels into the Airport from the south will be forced onto Deerfoot Trail to access the Airport from the West. This will cause an already overloaded Deerfoot Trail even more gridlock. It is the equivalent of closing Blackfoot Trail north at Glenmore Trail, and forcing all northbound traffic on to MacLeod Trail.
- Leave only one alternative access at the North entrance of the Airport, funneling traffic to circle the Airport completely on the East side or work its way through Beddington/Country Hills area when Deerfoot Trail is backed up due to rush hour, accidents, weather or other reasons.
- Force west-bound traffic from the east to access via Country Hills Blvd, which is being developed as a high density transit oriented area with over 50,000 people, 20,000 people working in commercial businesses, multiple transit stations, and pedestrian-oriented areas.
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Deprives the southern airport business region of substantial revenues and causes increased costs of operation for hotels, restaurants, rental car operations, taxi businesses, shipping businesses, and retail outlets.
- Deprives the east-side residents of much needed direct access to the airport, particularly many who are employed in the region.
- Could create signficant difficulties for Emergency Services accessing the Airport during peak traffic periods
Over 14 local Community Associations and several major Calgary Business Associations have come together and have jointly formed the “Airport Trail Access Committee (ATAC) to promote the Airport Trail Tunnel, raise public awareness and ensure that the Calgary Airport Authority’s plans don’t go forward without a commitment from all levels of government to include construction of the tunnel.
Alderman Jim Stevenson (Ward 3) has been a vocal proponent against removal of the Airport Trail Tunnel since the suggested change to remove it was revealed in 2007. You can read more on his website by clicking on the following link:
http://www.ward3calgary.ca/
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