Summary#

On September 22, 2026, Calgary City Council adopted the recommendation to receive the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Enhanced Pedestrian Safety report for information. This was not approval to build the proposed improvements or spend the estimated $6 million. City staff’s stated goal is to use AI-supported risk rankings, together with engineering review, to help identify pedestrian safety improvements.

• City staff reviewed the 50 highest-risk locations without traffic signals, overhead flashers or rectangular rapid flashing beacons; they identified proposed improvements at 26.
• The AI Platform scores more than 17,000 Calgary intersections. It supports decisions; engineering judgment and technical assessment determine treatment recommendations.
• Council did not approve funding for the 26 locations. Staff say the improvements could be added to the 2027–2030 work plan if funding is approved in future budget deliberations.

What it means for you#

• People walking in Calgary: This decision does not itself change street conditions. If funding is later approved, staff say design work at the highest-risk locations could start in 2027, with construction expected to begin in late 2027 or 2028 and continue over several years.
• Calgary taxpayers: No spending was approved through this decision. The report gives a preliminary estimate for the proposed work.
• People using the AI rankings: Staff say the tool identifies locations for review, not which treatment to install. Some locations were excluded from the cost estimate because of existing projects, recent improvements, coordination needs or errors in collision data.

Money#

The report estimates the proposed improvements at about $6 million; Council did not approve that funding in this decision.

• The estimate is preliminary and may change after engineering review, design and implementation planning.
• Staff say funding scenarios are included in a separate report on the Calgary Safer Mobility Plan for Council consideration. This decision does not settle that funding question.

What is unclear#

• The supplied material does not include Attachment 2, which lists the 26 locations, recommended treatments and individual cost estimates.
• Whether any funding will be approved, and which improvements would proceed, is not decided here.
• The report says the AI Platform may be updated with new data, but does not set out how often rankings will be reviewed or how the results will be checked over time.

Case for#

• City staff say the review can identify locations with elevated risk even when they do not meet conventional thresholds for upgrades. This could allow improvements before traffic counts or collision records meet those thresholds.
• Staff say the AI ranking is checked through engineering judgment and technical assessment, rather than determining treatments on its own.
• Staff identified 26 locations for possible improvements from the top 50 reviewed, including options such as curb extensions, medians, roundabouts and a raised-crosswalk pilot.

Case against#

• The decision does not provide funding or require upgrades, so the 26 proposed improvements may not proceed.
• City staff say the AI Platform’s rankings can change as new data becomes available. Their review also found collision-record errors that had made some locations appear riskier than they were.
• Staff say any funded work would take place over several years and require detailed design, approvals and construction scheduling. The report does not give final costs or firm completion dates.