Airdrie Minute: Issue 59

Airdrie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Airdrie politics

📅 This Week In Airdrie: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, the Community Safety and Social Services Standing Committee will meet. The Committee will receive a report on the Highland Park Fire Station and Training Centre, a major capital project approved in November 2023. The facility includes a fire station, a training center that can serve as an Emergency Coordination Centre, and a training yard with a clean-burning burn tower. It is designed to meet post-disaster building standards and support a 50+ year lifespan. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held today (May 12th).
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, at 1:00 pm, the Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Standing Committee will meet. The Committee will discuss revisions to the Waterworks Bylaw - these changes incorporate lessons from the 2024 water restrictions and align with recent updates made by Calgary to ensure regional consistency. Watering hours will be adjusted to a more flexible 7:00 pm to 10:00 am window to accommodate shift workers. New allowances have also been added for watering newly planted trees and shrubs during their first five years, as well as edible crops. The updates aim to improve clarity and communication during restrictions while encouraging responsible water use. If approved, the City will launch a communication campaign to inform residents of the changes.
  
  
• The Committee will also receive a 2025 update on the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL), outlining ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Airdrie through key projects funded by the Levy. Adopted in December 2022, the CRL aims to improve the downtown area with initiatives like environmental assessments, Nose Creek corridor improvements, parking structure designs, and Main Street redesign. As of February 2025, the taxable assessment value in the CRL area has increased by $61.8 million, generating significant revenue for the initiative. Notably, the CRL is already on track to meet low-revenue projections, with projected collections reaching $509,000 in 2025. Current projects include site remediation, planning for parking facilities, and redesign efforts for Main Street, while debt servicing costs for the Inspire project will be covered by CRL funds.
  
  
• Council has approved the integration of multimodal trip planning technology into its Hello-to-Go transit app to help boost fixed-route transit ridership. This upgrade will allow users to plan journeys combining on-demand, local, and regional services, and will guide riders to fixed-route options when available, potentially increasing fixed-route ridership by 250–300 trips per week. The change addresses concerns about the oversubscribed on-demand system, which currently sees 66% of users unable to book rides despite a 21% increase in ridership from 2023 to 2024. Analysis shows that nearly a quarter of Hello-to-Go users could take fixed routes but are opting for on-demand services instead. The app enhancement is expected to roll out by September 2025, ahead of a broader Transit Master Plan due in early 2026. Fleet concerns were also discussed, as aging heavy-duty buses and high spare ratios are creating operational inefficiencies and future budget pressures. The City is exploring new ways to use spare vehicles for community services and special events while planning for long-term system improvements.
  
  
• Last week, we told you about increases to Genesis Place rates. Starting September 1st, 2025, Airdrie will also implement transit fare increases as part of a 1.7% CPI adjustment. Local adult monthly passes will increase by $1.15, from $69.00 to $70.15. Youth/student monthly passes will rise by $0.85, from $48.75 to $49.60. The ICE 901/902 downtown commuter adult monthly pass will go up by $2.25, from $131.50 to $133.75. Additionally, the regional cash fare for Route 900 will see a $0.10 increase, from $5.35 to $5.45, while local single fares (cash) will rise by $0.05, from $2.90 to $2.95.
   

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

You get these updates once a week, but if you really want to stay on top of what’s happening at City Hall - and get involved in making a difference - follow us on X (formerly Twitter).

So give us a follow and stay tuned!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!