Calgary Track Takeover: Commuting and Parking

We all know parking and dealing with traffic downtown can have its challenges at the best of times. With anticipation of the Calgary Track Takeover on June 23^rd and the 5000 predicted attendees it will bring, it might get a little bit tougher. To help, us at Downtown Calgary have come up with some options for parking and commuting to help you get downtown as easy as possible.

Downtown Parking and Parkades
*Note that downtown sections of MacLeod Trail will be closed for the event.

Calgary Parking Authority

All parking monitored by the Calgary Parking Authority will have regular Saturday rates (payment required between 9am and 6pm). This includes downtown street parking and six different lot locations.

• Lot 28 McDougall Parkade (720 – 5 Ave SW)
• Lot 54 Centennial Parkade (608-9 Ave SW/823- 5 St SW)
• Lot 25 City Centre Parkade (240-10 Ave SW/221 9 Ave SW)
• Lot 40 James Short Parkade (112- 5 Ave SW/115- 4 Ave SW)
• Lot 60 Convention Centre Parkade (727-1 St SE)
• Lot 36 City Hall Parkade (322 – 9 Ave SE)

Parking at the CORE and Holt Renfrew

The first 3 hours of weekend parking are free during regular mall hours, and a $2 flat rate applies thereafter. Prior to mall opening you will be charged the regular $6 per hour rate to a maximum of $35 per day. Don’t forget, the valet service is always complimentary at the CORE. The booth is located on 3rd Street SW between 7th & 8th Avenue SW.

The Holt Renfrew parkade is located beneath Holt Renfrew on 8th Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets SW and is open from 5:30 am – 12:00 am.  The CORE parkade is located on 4th Street SW between 8th and 7th Avenues SW and is open from 5:00 am – 12:00am.

Parking at Bankers Hall

The Bankers Hall parkades offers a weekend parking rate of $2.00 for 24 hours (6:00 am – 6:00 am).

The entrance for the Underground Parkade is off of 9th Avenue SW between 2nd and 3rd Streets. To gain access to the West Parkade, enter off of 9th Avenue SW or 3rd Street SW.

Public Transit

While you may not have a CTrain stop within walking distance to your home, many Calgarians already ‘Park and Ride’ in to the downtown core. Park at one of the many ‘Park and Ride’ lots along any of the four CTrain lines and take the train in to the core, you just pay for your transit ticket. Here’s a list of Park & Ride Locations in Calgary.

Try parking in the east or west end of downtown and use the Free Fare Zone to get closer to your destination. Along both the Red Line and the Blue Line there are 9 CTrain stations downtown in the 7th Avenue Free Fare Zone, where you can hop on and off at anytime. The closest station to Olympic Plaza is City Hall Station.

If you are new to transit, you can plan ahead with the Calgary Transit Plan a Trip app.

Cycling or Walking

Walking and biking downtown has become fairly straightforward with new interactive pathways and bikeways maps offered by the City of Calgary. The app is available for download on both iPhone and Android for free from either Apple or Google app stories. For more information or to print off a map, visit the cycling and walking route maps page.

If you and your friends and family decide to bike downtown, keep in mind there are bicycle-parking racks in a number of areas on and around the Cycle Track Network (which is completely free). Be sure to bring a lock (we recommend a u-lock) to keep your bike secure.

NOTE: There is the potential for pathway closures for both cyclists and pedestrians. Be sure to check for closures to plan your trip by visiting the pathway closures page of City of Calgary. 

You can get more information on cheap downtown Calgary parking here, and make sure to try our Downtown Calgary Parking Tool. If you have your own parking tip, e-mail us at [email protected] and let us know!

Tagged as: commuting, ctrain, parking, track takeover, tracktakeoveryyc, transit