Calgary and Edmonton Complete Mobility Audit

Following the positive reaction to the Complete Mobility Audit of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in 2010, Siemens commissioned MRCMH to conduct two more audits for Canadian Cities; this time with a joint-focus on the neighbouring cities of Calgary and Edmonton.

This was an interesting project for all of those involved.  Stakeholders in both Calgary and Edmonton have good visions as to where they want to guide their Cities over the coming decades, but our research quickly identified a number of challenges which they would need to tackle in order to be successful in their endeavours.  High levels of car dependence, rapidly growing populations, the role of the oil sands & natural gas industries in the Province, and the connections between the Cities and their regional communities were highlighted as the most significant underlying trends in both Cities.  There were, however, also localised issues to understand such as the role of the Port Alberta initiative in Edmonton.

The Audits gained insights from Site Visits, Stakeholder Workshops and Interviews and the previously updated Complete Mobility Index.  Having gained a detailed picture of the current situation for mobility in the Cities, MRCMH were able to develop two scenarios for future mobility.  The first scenario examined the likely impacts of the currently committed projects in Calgary & Edmonton – considering both funded and unfunded projects.  The second scenario was a “Complete Mobility” Scenario which included a series of tailored packages (including initiative and best practice examples) were offered to the Cities.  These packages offer the required initiatives to create a mobility system that will both meet the future urban challenges of Calgary & Edmonton and reinforce the use of mobility as a tool to support a wide range of City and Regional objectives.

The final Studies were presented to a range of local stakeholders at events in Calgary and Edmonton on the 4th and 5th October 2011.  It is hoped that they will provide an insight into the potential for future mobility systems in the cities.