Traffic infrastructure in Calgary is based on a grid system with numerous freeways and expressways supplementing the city’s smaller streets. Numbered streets run from north to south, while avenues go east to west.

The city is divided into four quadrants (northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest) and all street names and addresses end with suffixes corresponding to the quadrant of the city (NE, NW, SE or SW).

In terms of speed, you can drive 50 kilometres per hour on most city streets, and 70 to 80 kilometres per hour on most trails (larger city roads). The speed limit in school and playground zones is 30 kilometres per hour.

Winter Maintenance

In the winter, the City of Calgary has a pre-planned, measured response to snowfall to help make roadways safe and efficient. Road crews are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to react to any winter storms.