Municipal staff shares information on details of newly updated transportation and City plans

Between 40 and 50 people attended an open house hosted by the City of Airdrie at Genesis Place, Feb. 21.

The event was put on to discuss the City’s Master Transportation Plan (MTP) and City Plan (CP), which are both in the process of being updated.

The City also hosted a workshop in the afternoon of Feb. 21 to gather input from Airdrie’s development community.

Between 25 and 30 members of the development community attended the by-invite-only event.

According to Tracy Corbett, the City’s manager of planning and sustainable development, the open house was the first in a set of public consultations.

The second round will take place in March before the draft documents are brought before council for approval in late May or June.

Corbett said City staff began updating the MTP in early 2013, adding this year’s plan will be much broader in scope than those updates done in previous years.

“We are trying to have them look at more than just the basic major road network … looking at options that will work for everyone no matter what,” said Corbett.

The new MTP will address walkability, cycling, Main Street plans, transit and transportation options for the more than 12,000 acres of land the City recently annexed.

“We will take a comprehensive look at everything, then we will do another round involving the public on our proposals,” said Corbett.

She said HDR Consulting, a Calgary consulting company was hired before Christmas to do the background work on the MTP.

Corbett said the CP is Airdrie’s master development plan, which is statutory and last revised in 2004 just after the last annexation.

The updated CP will set out policies for developing Airdrie in the future. It will align with the AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan, Airdrie’s long-term visionary document for development that was approved last spring.

“What we are doing on these plans is getting a little more meat on the bones,” said Corbett, adding the MTP and CP will contain the practical steps needed to realize the goals of the AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan.

The plan includes economic prosperity, socially sustainable communities, sustainable and healthy development, increased culture and recreation, a sustainable natural environment, efficient use of water, reduced waste and energy usage, sustainable transportation, and efficient local government.

For more information on the AirdrieONE plan, visit www.airdrie.ca