The car-centric retail strip that is Macleod Trail is a long way away from anyone’s vision of an attractive, pedestrian-friendly urban boulevard.

But a proposed redevelopment plan could make it possible in decades to come, if city politicians decide it’s worth the nearly $100 million price tag.

While no-one is suggesting an overnight redesign of one of Calgary’s busiest thoroughfares, the Macleod Trail corridor plan that will be debated by a city committee on Friday presents a new vision to work toward. Instead of the long expanse of traffic-clogged concrete that exists now, the plan proposes a Macleod Trail that integrates high-quality urban design and environmentally friendly infrastructure. Recommendations include maintaining six lines of vehicle traffic, but widening sidewalks and pathways, adding separated cycle tracks, and creating green boulevard space.

The plan would make Macleod Trail more attractive to cyclists and pedestrians and give it the kind of character it is missing now. But construction costs are estimated at $99 million to redesign the entire stretch of road from 25th Avenue to Anderson Road, and that figure doesn’t include land acquisition costs required for the widening of the roadway.

“It’s a tough one,” said Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra, vice-chairman of the city’s transportation and transit committee. “In our cash-strapped environment, when we don’t have money to do everything, is this a priority? But at the same point, if you want to do it at any point, you have to start now.”

That doesn’t mean spending money now, Carra said, but it does mean approving the plan so it’s on the books and future Macleod Trail development can be tailored to fit within the framework. It would also give the city the ability to start acquiring land gradually as it becomes available.

Ward 11 Coun. Brian Pincott — who represents many of the communities that border Macleod Trail — called the proposal a great plan. He said it would turn the thoroughfare from an almost 100 per cent car-dominated zone into something that “is actually a benefit to the neighbourhoods and communities that go along it.”

Pincott said even though it won’t happen for decades, it’s important to have a plan in place.

“Then as a site redevelops, we can tell property owners, ‘this is the plan, so don’t put your parking along Macleod Trail — put it at the back,’ ” Pincott said. “Or we can say, ‘we’re going to acquire some of the road right-of-way for the plan.’ ”

But while Pincott said he believes transforming Macleod Trail is a 25-year project, Carra said it could be a 50 or even 100-year project. He said while he’d like to see better crosswalks to make it easier for pedestrians to walk across Macleod Trail to the CTrain station, he’s not sure a grand, “Parisian-style” urban boulevard is really necessary.

I think over the next 50 years, we’ve got much bigger fish to fry,” Carra said. “If it becomes about prioritizing this over many other things that should be higher priority, it’s never going to happen.”

astephenson@calgaryherald.com