As Calgary heads into another busy construction season, residents are being encouraged to “check before they go” using the updated Plan Your Trip tool.

The refreshed hub makes it easier to understand traffic conditions, detours and travel impacts, helping Calgarians plan ahead before they leave.

“Construction season is always busy and we know it can be frustrating when conditions change quickly,” said Anthony El-araj, Manager of Traffic Services. “Plan Your Trip helps take away the guesswork by showing what’s happening before you leave, so delays feel more manageable.”

What’s new: clearer, connected travel information

Since launching last year, Plan Your Trip has been improved based on feedback to make information easier to find and use. The updated hub brings together traffic, transit and pathway conditions in one place, helping people quickly understand what’s happening and choose how to travel.

Key updates include:

A simple starting point to check conditions before leavingA more connected traffic map with closures, incidents, live feeds, and dynamic sign messages displayed on the mapA more connected traffic map with closures, incidents, live feeds, and traffic incident messages The ability to look ahead at upcoming delays, closures, events and detoursReal-time updates as route conditions changeSupport for all travel options, including driving, transit, walking, wheeling and cycling

Information is also available on mobile devices, including through navigation tools like Waze, so people can adjust plans as needed.

Calgary continues to grow, increasing demand on the transportation network.

According to the TomTom Traffic Index 2025, Calgary ranks 9th among major Canadian cities for congestion, with a lower overall congestion level than Toronto (47.7 per cent) and Vancouver (56.5 per cent), meaning less time lost in traffic compared to more congested cities.

City officials say that while Calgary compares well to larger cities, growing demand makes planning ahead more important than ever.

“As Calgary grows and upgrades are needed, utility work under roadways affect traffic and transit routes.” said Troy McLeod, Director of Mobility. “This is about helping people understand what’s happening and make informed choices before they leave.”

Behind the scenes: real-time traffic management

Calgary’s Traffic Management Centre (TMC) monitors and manages traffic around the clock and this is where real-time coordination happens.

Watch how The City’s Traffic Management Centre manages traffic during construction.

Teams respond to collisions, construction and congestion in real time, adjusting signals and updating information to keep people moving safely.

“Traffic requires active management to help keep travel predictable and keep people moving,” said Sameer Patil, Traffic Management Centre Leader. “Our team monitors conditions and makes adjustments as needed to keep travel information current and help people plan their trips.”

In 2024, The City created 528 new signal timing plans and made more than 5,000 real-time adjustments to respond to changing conditions. Real-time traffic information has already helped inform more than 1.6 million trips over the past year, allowing people to adjust routes and timing before delays occur.

Travel information is shared through multiple channels, including:

Plan Your Trip brings these tools together in one place.

What Calgarians can do

Small changes can make a big difference. The City encourages people to:

Check conditions before leavingAllow extra time during construction and eventsConsider alternate routes, travel options or travel during off-peak hoursAdjust plans if conditions changeMonitor evolving route conditions without travelling distracted

Traffic isn’t going away but surprises can.

“When people have the right information before they leave, it changes their experience,” said El-araj. “That’s what this is about—helping people move with more confidence.”

Calgarians can plan ahead at calgary.ca/planyourtrip

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