16th Avenue Noise Attenuation Wall

The primary purpose of the proposed wall at the 16th Avenue interface with the Rosedale community is to provide necessary noise attenuation for the residents who live beside the street, the 6-lane east-west trucking route through Calgary.

It should perform to this standard. Any break in the continuity of the wall is a weak point for noise attenuation.

The City of Calgary tender drawings for the Rosedale interface, on view at the City construction office at 1635 7th St NW, show the wall with breaks, about 15 - 20 ft long, at the end of every street block where there is a remnant lot in the community. The lot is to be redeveloped with an infill house and an alley link. The infill house is intended to function as the continuation of the noise attenuation, across the alley from the break in the wall.

The reason given by the City and its representatives, for providing these breaks, is that it will relieve the visual monotony of a continuous wall. This reason is doubtful given that wall is being designed with such a high level of detail and variation, and with extensive landscaping on the 16th Avenue side.

-The breaks are a weak point in the wall that will allow traffic noise to bleed into the neighbourhood.

-The breaks are a safety hazard. There will be no real barrier to absorb a vehicle from veering off of 16th avenue into the neighbourhood.

-The breaks create confusion on a pedestrian scale. Pedestrians will walk down alleys rather than neighbourhood streets.