City unveils master plan for Crescent Road. Here's what the scenic spot might look like

The city has released a plan to accommodate the different users who frequent a popular road that overlooks Calgary's downtown — but some say the strategy doesn't go far enough to address the concerns of residents.

On Tuesday, the city unveiled its Crescent Road master plan after two rounds of public engagement, discussions with community members and stakeholders and two rounds of knowledge-sharing sessions with elders from the Blackfoot, Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut'ina Nations.

The city notes the plan will not solve or address all of the challenges and opportunities for the road, but the intention is to reimagine it and its adjacent park spaces.  

On the main section in front of Crescent Heights Park, the plan calls for gates to be installed at both ends of that block to enable the road to be closed to cars for special events.

There are plans for a feature plaza at Crescent Road and Second Street N.W. that would include Indigenous artistic installations and commemorative plaques, a new viewpoint and possibly a new staircase, and limiting parking.

Solving a problem that 'doesn't exist'

The city said it will also use a variety of interventions such as expanding park space and traffic calming, identifying placemaking and economic development opportunities and recommending a long-term design concept.

But one resident thinks more needs to be done.

"I don't know why we need to have any of this stuff, personally," said Phillip Greenfield, who lives in the area. 

"A little bit of enforcement would help. I don't know if I've ever seen a police officer near here, sitting there, clocking anybody.… I think they're doing a lot, trying to solve a problem that really isn't there."

Despite calls from residents for the road to be closed due to disturbances by motorists, it won't be shut down to traffic permanently.

"There's various different perspectives, concerns and issues. Those who live directly between First Street and Second Street, for example, have a concern because their houses are directly adjacent to the roadway where people are causing some of the problems," said Coun. Terry Wong, representative for Ward 7.

"I think what the city has put in place here is ways to mitigate some of that [vehicle stunting and noise] without eliminating road access."

Instead, the city said it will install traffic calming measures such as raised intersections at Crescent Road and Third Street N.W., a new multi-use pathway, and a couple of parking stalls will be sacrificed in order to build curb bump-outs. 

However, it's still not clear when the changes would occur — and the city now needs to set money aside for these improvements.

Wong said that if it's approved this budget year, construction would begin in 2023.