Ward 11 Alderman Brian Pincott | City of Calgary Office of the Aldermen

Over the next five years, more than $6 billion in infrastructure construction will be taking place in Calgary, and citizens, funding partners and suppliers can keep track of this investment through a new website www.calgaryinfrastructure.ca launched today. This website gives Calgarians and other stakeholders a window into 125 priority projects now underway in the city, with more projects to be added over the next few months.

"This is our accountability report," says Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier. "By viewing the website, you can find out where the money is coming from and, more importantly, where it is going. You can see improvements in every aspect of Calgary, from light rail transit lines and vehicles to water treatment, roads and bridges, parks, recreation facilities, and cultural projects."

The major feature of the website is an interactive map that pinpoints 125 capital projects currently funded by The City’s approved 2009 – 2013 capital budget. Each pinpoint displays the project’s details, construction schedule and status, sources of funding and project costs. As projects develop, photos and progress reports will also populate the website.

"This is an important tool for The City of Calgary," says Brad Stevens, General Manager of Asset Management & Capital Works. "It’s a very detailed and transparent project tracker that allows anyone, from me as a manager to you as a taxpayer to get the answer to: are we on time and on budget?"

The website also shows where the funding for each project and the entire capital plan comes from. The federal and provincial governments contribute a significant portion of The City of Calgary's capital funding, which is making it possible for The City to upgrade and build new, environmentally sustainable infrastructure that will serve Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians for many years to come.

"We couldn’t do this alone. Six billion dollars is a massive investment in our community by all three levels of government and a very significant economic stimulus during a time when the construction industry isn’t doing as well as previously. This investment is expected to provide a boost for the local economy by creating more than 51,000 jobs over five years," says Mayor Bronconnier.

The website was created by The City of Calgary Customer Service & Communications with Infrastructure Services and assisted by all city departments. It was built in-house at a cost of $25,000, funded from the 2009 Mayor's Office budget.

The information on the web-site will be updated frequently to reflect progress on capital projects and note changes in the capital plan moving forward. The website currently indentifies 125 priority projects, with the remaining projects in the approved capital budget to be added over the next few months. By the end of the summer, some 500 projects will be mapped and detailed.
http://www.calgaryinfrastructure.ca/