Kingsland Junction | 19.51m | 6s | Trico Homes

It's a step in the right direction, but I don't see it making a difference. Walking along side Macleod Trail is horrible for cyclists and pedestrians even with wider sidewalks. There are too many entrances in and out of parking lots.

The city would be better to look at something going through 4th/4a street from the mall to Heritage station. I know it doesn't hit the businesses, but those businesses along Macleod cater to auto traffic anyhow. Have it run down 4th, with a few east-west passage ways to the businesses.
 
It's probably the best we can hope for. Macleod is an incredibly ugly street, even by suburban thoroughfare standards. The fact that it is the "gateway" to the city from the south is pretty embarrassing. Some trees, narrower lanes, new lighting will go along way in making it more pleasant (relative to where it is now).

In terms of walking and cycling, the new sidewalks and bike lanes are also a huge improvement over the current state of things, which will be important given the increasing residential density of the area. To get from Kingsland Junction to Chinook is only a 15 minute walk and a 5 minute bike ride. Either option is faster than driving if you factor in making left turns on Macleod and looking for parking. We'd just need to get Macleod up to a standard where walking/cycling isn't so unpleasant that people actively try to avoid it. Safer intersections, better lighting, and trees/planters that create a buffer between the sidewalk and the street, would all help a great deal.
 
Is there any MacLeod Trail - type terrible streets in North America that have ever successfully transitioned to being more urban and actually pleasant to walk on? There's a bunch of freeway tear-down projects that can say to have done this, but I am thinking about major roads. Perhaps Yonge or some of the arterials north of Toronto? I can't think of anything specific that has been as anti-human as MacLeod and then transitioned to something more multi-modal (without being fully torn down).

Any examples people know?
 
Is there any MacLeod Trail - type terrible streets in North America that have ever successfully transitioned to being more urban and actually pleasant to walk on? There's a bunch of freeway tear-down projects that can say to have done this, but I am thinking about major roads. Perhaps Yonge or some of the arterials north of Toronto? I can't think of anything specific that has been as anti-human as MacLeod and then transitioned to something more multi-modal (without being fully torn down).

Any examples people know?

Yonge Street between Shepard and Finch in North York (Toronto) is somewhat relevant. It was always more urban than Macleod. Nonetheless, it is 6-7 lanes wide, so it's probably a good model of what you can do without getting rid of car lanes. I'd say 16 Ave N has more potential to become similar to Yonge.

York Region has tried to redevelop Highway 7 into an urban-ish boulevard with little success. Not urban at all, but still more attractive than Macleod.

There are some suburban thoroughfares like Marine Drive in West Vancouver that are still infinitely more pleasant than Macleod.

Remember, this is the status quo. Almost any change will be an improvement.
 
I know it seems extreme for Calgary but I personally think they should swap a car lane with a bus lane along with streetscape enhancements. I know cities like Boston and soon to join Vancouver have planned entire highway removals in order to give their cities back to pedestrians but I don't know if we'll ever see Calgary take such a bold step. Council would be pitchforked out of town. Macleod definitely has the potential to be a Yonge street but it would require more than just a lot of money, it would require Calgarians to accept modern urban planning which prioritizes pedestrians, street retail, etc. over cars. Maybe all the traffic backup from reducing a lane could encourage people to move closer to the inner city or to use the LRT that runs along Macleod.
 
Macleod is a lost cause south of Chinook. If anything, the CIty should add one lane each way and close some of the intersections to improve traffic flow, for that segment. It will never be pedestrian friendly, but it could look better with more landscaping and removing the chain link fencing in the medium.

The section between Cemetery Hill and DT could definitely be more pedestrian friendly. I would restore 2 way traffic to Macleod, possibly with lane reversal, and convert 1st ST SE to a residential street.

From Cemetery Hill to Chinook is basically a blank slate. Few of the buildings are worth preserving.
 
Kingsland Junction
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This looks like a building after a nearby nuclear detonation.

At least in those pics. I'm sure it won't be much different after completion ?
 

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