Calgary councillors debate whether a 'war' on cars is brewing in the city

A proposed redevelopment in Marda Loop prompted a debate on city council this week about whether there's  a “war on the car” being waged in Calgary.

But coming on the heels of a pair of pedestrian deaths, Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt called the claim “irresponsible.”

The debate stems from a proposed land use change that city council discussed on Tuesday for a six-storey redevelopment on 34th Avenue S.W. in the city’s Marda Loop community. The development would include 44 housing units as well as commercial space, but its applicant asked the city to relax its minimum parking requirements down to 12 stalls, arguing more than half of households in the area own one or zero cars.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean voted against the development and connected it to a larger “attack” on cars that he said he sees in Calgary.

“We’re a car-centric city and province, and so to neglect that is irresponsible,” said McLean.

“It would be different if we lived in Paris or New York. But we’ve got a lot of room to grow.”

McLean argued people are fighting to get around in denser communities, and that the competition for parking spots in some parts of Calgary is leading to more road rage.

But Schmidt, who represents Marda Loop residents, argued the development presents a more affordable option for potential residents that own less than two vehicles.

“When we have certain developments that have less parking, there is a market for it. I myself would be in that market owning one vehicle with kids,” Schmidt said in council on Tuesday.

“By framing it as a war, we are moving the conversation to a negative place where it assumes how people live. It’s not our job to assume how people live, it’s our job to give them the opportunity to live how they want to live.”

The debate came days after a pair of pedestrian deaths in Calgary last weekend. A man in his 70s died after being struck by a tractor trailer, while in a marked crosswalk, on Monday morning. A day earlier, a toddler died, while being pushed in a stroller by two adults, after being struck by a Jeep Cherokee turning into an intersection at a marked crosswalk.

Later in the week, Schmidt posted to social media that blaming a lack of parking for increased road rage and claiming there’s a “war on cars,” days after two Calgarians were killed while walking in marked crosswalks, is “irresponsible.”

“Calgary saw a record 15 pedestrians killed in 2025. This is a failure of leadership. We must do better," said Schmidt.

Walk Score, an online index ranking pedestrian friendliness in different cities, classifies Calgary as a car-dependent city where most errands require a car.