Calgary traffic volume up 25 per cent year over year

If you notice more congestion on Calgary roads, it’s not your imagination.

Sameer Patil, leader, Mobility Operations Centre at the city of Calgary, says it’s typical to see more traffic this time of the year.

“With school started and people coming back from vacation, September is always a transition time, we see a peak every year,” Patil said.

He adds data from Waze shows a 25 per cent increase in Calgary traffic volume in the first week of this September compared to statistics from the same time last year.

CityNews traffic reporter Trace St. John says while watching the roads every day, he’s noticed congestion picking up over the past few months.

“I guess you’d call it ‘pre-pandemic pandemonium on the pavement,'” St. John said. “Things have really increased in volume, ever since most people started getting back to work. Right now, it’s even busier with students back at school, we’ve still also got all the construction still underway.”

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He says Calgary’s major routes have been most affected by increased traffic, especially during the morning and afternoon rushes.

“We’re seeing major delays on Deerfoot Trail — both north and southbound. Crowchild Trail — quite busy — especially coming into the northwest heading northbound past the river,” he said. “Glenmore Trail is also especially busy, late in the afternoon we see mammoth backups in both directions near the Deerfoot area on Glenmore, both east and westbound.”

St. John adds he’s noticed exceptionally busy roads in the afternoons, partly because of construction.

“The construction’s going in a bunch of areas where maybe it’s hit and miss as to whether or not it’s in play,” he said. “McKnight Boulevard has been a problem throughout the summer where they have been working on the pedestrian overpass in the area around Centre Street in the north — that’s especially slow.”

St. John says drivers will have to adjust to longer commute times, particularly as we head into the fall and winter months and snow begins to cover the streets.

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–With files from Tiffany Goodwein