Commuting SE to downtown and NW

[shane_c]

We lived in McKenzie Towne from 2004-2007 before moving back east. After 11 years out east we are ready to leave again (if the right opportunity presents itself) because there just isn't a lot of opportunity here for my partner and the weather is miserable.

We've spent a bit of time vacationing in Whitehorse and absolutely love it up there so the Yukon is certainly high on our list of places to consider.

We'd also consider going back to Calgary or a few other places (almost all out west). When we lived in Calgary we really loved McKenzie Towne for its small town feel and having everything we needed in walking distance. When there, she worked downtown and I worked at UofC. It was a PITA driving up there everyday. On a good day it was 1hr20 mins each way. Has it improved any in the last 10 years? I think there's a ring road now. Would that cut commute time from SE to NW? Is the LRT down that far yet?

[Nyah]

McKenzie Towne is still awesome, but the commute is still a PITA. The LRT hasn't made its way down yet. Deerfoot is a little bit better thanks to the ring road, but it still bogs down through Douglasdale to Anderson from 6:45-8ish. If you leave earlier it's not too bad though, I leave my house at 6:30ish and I'm almost always at work downtown before or right around 7.

Edit: Obviously the winter is a bit different though.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by shane_c

Has it improved any in the last 10 years?

Lol

[Locke]

Yeah...no.

If your work situation is anywhere near the same then the commute has probably only gotten worse.

The LRT is supposed to get to Quarry Park which is close to Mackenzie, but I'm not up to date on when thats supposed to happen.

We'll probably be bowing to our Insect Overlords first and they'll make it happen through slave labour.

In all seriousness though, Mackenzie Town is nice, I live fairly close to there myself but the commute still sucks.

[TorqueDog]

The commute has improved property values for people who live closer to downtown, that's about all that has improved.

Stoney Trail on the east might provide some relief if you live in McKenzie Towne and work at the Calgary International Airport, or the Peter Lougheed, but it won't do you any favors to get to downtown faster. Any time you'll save in the northbound commute will be wiped out due to the limited options for westbound access, none of them qualifying as high speed or high capacity.

Access from the east is still largely reliant on Memorial Drive and 9th Ave SE from Blackfoot, which is itself a mass of congestion due to the construction of the new transit corridor over Deerfoot Trail.

[undercoverbrother]

You can find updates on LRT expansion on this

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ntstatus.aspx#

There are a lot more things in/around the SE now. Seton has large hospital and there is a theatre and a number of other stores/restaurants slatted.

If you are going to work up north, Stoney (the ring road) might help, but is get's crazy busy as well at times.

I work just by Heritage and Blackfoot and during rush hour that can be 20-30 mins from our place in the Auburn Bay.

[Fuzz]

If you work at the UofC I'd be looking at communities in the NW. Any other part of the city just doesn't have good access. Northbound on Crowchild is going to be a disaster for a long time. Wasting time commuting doesn't seem worth the trade off to me. And there are plenty of nice communities in the NW, just nothing as integrated as McKenzie Towne.

[mikephoen]

There are tons of great neighbourhoods in the NW or the part of the NE that's west of Deerfoot. I'd just find a place in one of those. Whatever McKenzie Town has going for it can't be nearly worth an hour and twenty minute commute each day, that is insane.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by shane_c

When we lived in Calgary we really loved McKenzie Towne for its small town feel and having everything we needed in walking distance.

What kind of services are on your needs list?

[jeffporfirio]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

If you work at the UofC I'd be looking at communities in the NW. Any other part of the city just doesn't have good access. Northbound on Crowchild is going to be a disaster for a long time. Wasting time commuting doesn't seem worth the trade off to me. And there are plenty of nice communities in the NW, just nothing as integrated as McKenzie Towne.

This.
Look into Nolan Hill in the NW, it's not McKenzie, but its pretty close in terms of available services and stores.

[RM14]

If you can live with construction, the University District might be a good spot. Some of the fist buildings are coming available.

https://myuniversitydistrict.ca/live-at-ud/

[burn_this_city]

SE still better for traffic than most other areas. You can drive from Mckenzie Towne to Downtown in 30-50 mins in rush hour. 50 mins meaning you leave at 8 and spend 30 of the 50 mins on memorial and downtown roads.

[getbak]

Right now, the Green Line is scheduled to open in early 2026. It's possible that if we get the Olympics, they could accelerate that schedule (they could also push it back -- who knows?). That portion of the Green Line will run from Shepard (north of the shopping area north of 130th Ave -- north of Mckenzie Towne) into downtown (and up Centre Street to 16th Ave).

Even if it does get accelerated, you're still looking at 7 years at least before it's running.


There's also a lot of work scheduled in the coming years for the stretch of Crowchild from 17th Ave S up to the University, starting with bridge work on the Crowchild/Memorial/Bow Trail mess. If I had the choice, I'd want a commute that avoided going anywhere near that.

[bizaro86]

Arbour Lake has similar proximity to services, less small town feel, and is WAY closer to the university, and a bit better for downtown.

[Fuzz]

Green Line isn't going to be great for commuting to the University anyway. From Shepard(which is the end of the first phase, north of McKenzie Towne) to 16th ave is estimated at 34 minutes. Lets say 25 minutes to downtown. 15 minutes downtown to UofC. So 40 minutes, plus getting to Shepard, parking etc, a transfer downtown and a 5-10 minute walk to your building. That's close to an hour without breakdowns, best case, twice a day. Shoot me now. You gotta really love a community to sign up for that.

[Huntingwhale]

I like in McKenzie Towne and commute to downtown everyday. I'll admit, when I was looking for a house there the commute was a big thing for me. But over time, I've gotten used to it.

The best advice I can give you is to utilise Barlow Trail much more so then taking Deerfoot. Ever since that new overpass bridge got built on Glenmore, it's been a god send. I don't even try to go on Deerfoot coming home from downtown. Glenmore is pretty bare for the most part because of that bridge. Then take the turn off for Barlow, and really the only buildup is on 114th by the Deerfoot Casino. By going this way, you completely avoid the cluster#### that is the Southland/Anderson bottleneck.

I do the same going to work, I just take Barlow now. Although I leave early enough to miss most of rush hour, I just find that drive much more peaceful and calming then Deerfoot.

During rush hour (each way) I can make it to and from downtown in 25-30 minutes. It's decent, considering I expected it to be way longer when I first move there.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I like in McKenzie Towne and commute to downtown everyday. I'll admit, when I was looking for a house there the commute was a big thing for me. But over time, I've gotten used to it.

The best advice I can give you is to utilise Barlow Trail much more so then taking Deerfoot. Ever since that new overpass bridge got built on Glenmore, it's been a god send. I don't even try to go on Deerfoot coming home from downtown. Glenmore is pretty bare for the most part because of that bridge. Then take the turn off for Barlow, and really the only buildup is on 114th by the Deerfoot Casino. By going this way, you completely avoid the cluster#### that is the Southland/Anderson bottleneck.

I do the same going to work, I just take Barlow now. Although I leave early enough to miss most of rush hour, I just find that drive much more peaceful and calming then Deerfoot.

During rush hour (each way) I can make it to and from downtown in 25-30 minutes. It's decent, considering I expected it to be way longer when I first move there.

Shut up about Barlow dude, it's still secret.

[Resolute 14]

As with anywhere else, the time of day will make a big difference.

However, if you're not currently in the city, why not look at options in the NW? You'd be much closer to the U of C, and have more options to downtown with a completed LRT line, plus Stoney access to Deerfoot and 16th Ave on top of Crowchild.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Barlow stuff

Barlow to Memorial Dr and into downtown?

[mrkajz44]

I've lived in Douglasdale for the past 4 years and I honestly think the Deerfoot commute has gotten better since I moved. The morning is still not great - I'll leave at 7:35 or so and end up at my parking spot around 8:10. Evening is better when I leave around 5:30 and usually home before 6:00.

Can't really help with how it takes going to the U of C.