Sunalta station
{{Short description|CTrain light rail in Calgary, Alberta, Canada}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Sunalta
| type = CTrain station
| style = CTrain
| image = Sunalta LRT.JPG
| address = 10 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB
| country = Canada
| coordinates = {{Coord|51|02|41|N|114|05|58|W|region:CA-AB_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| line =
| other =
70 Valley Ridge Express
90 Bridgeland / University of Calgary
| structure = Elevated
| platform = Side-loading platforms
| depth =
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| tracks =
| parking = None
| bicycle =
| baggage_check =
| opened = {{Start date and age|2012}}
| closed =
| rebuilt =
| electrified =
| accessible = yes
| code =
| owned = Calgary Transit
| zone =
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| services = {{adjacent stations|system=CTrain|line=Blue|left=Shaganappi Point|right=Downtown West–Kerby}}
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Sunalta Station is a CTrain light rail station in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It serves the West segment of the Blue Line.{{cite web |url=http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/2012-WESTLRT-RIDERS-GUIDE.pdf |title=CTrain map and frequencies |accessdate=2012-12-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115074849/http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/2012-WESTLRT-RIDERS-GUIDE.pdf |archivedate=2013-01-15 }}
The station is located on an elevated guideway, constructed on the south side of the CPR mainline. It is located inside the community of Sunalta adjacent to 10 Avenue SW and Bow Trail,{{Cite web|url=http://www.westlrt.ca/stationareas/sunaltastation.cfm|title=West LRT, Sunalta Station}} 1.1 km West of the 7 Avenue & 9 Street SW Interlocking.
Inside the station building, escalators, stairs and an elevator provide access to the mezzanine level where the pedestrian overpass connects the station to Bow Trail and the now-closed Greyhound Bus Depot. From the mezzanine level, a further two sets of escalators, stairs, and elevators provide access up to the side-loading platform. Sunalta is the first elevated station in the CTrain system. An [http://www.westlrt.ca/stationareas/sunaltarp.cfm Area Redevelopment Plan] for the station's surroundings was approved by City Council in March 2010.{{Cite web|url=http://www.westlrt.ca/files/Sunalta%20ARP%20Consolidated%20March%202010.pdf|title=Sunalta Area Redevelopment Plan}}
In its first year of service, Sunalta served an average of 5,640 boardings per day.{{cite web |url=https://www.calgarytransit.com/sites/default/files/reports/west_lrt_one_year_review.pdf#page=23 |page=23 |title=West LRT One Year Review |format=pdf |year=2014 |accessdate=January 19, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505064147/http://www.calgarytransit.com/sites/default/files/reports/west_lrt_one_year_review.pdf |archivedate = May 5, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}
History
Construction on Sunalta station began on July 14, 2010.{{Cite book|last1=Metro International|url=https://archive.org/details/metro-calgary-2010-07-15|title=Metro Calgary - July 15, 2010|last2=Atlantic Free Daily Newspapers Inc.|date=2010-07-15}} The ceremonial opening was held on December 9, 2012,{{Cite web|last=Howell|first=Trevor Scott|date=November 7, 2012|title=Crowds turn out to welcome city's newest LRT line|url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Crowds+turn+welcome+city+newest+line/7672081/story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211080159/http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Crowds+turn+welcome+city+newest+line/7672081/story.html|archive-date=December 11, 2012|access-date=July 13, 2021|website=Calgary Herald}} and on December 10, the station, and the West LRT project as a whole,{{Cite web|date=2012-12-10|title=Calgary opens West LRT, completes 7 Avenue project|url=https://www.rtands.com/passenger/rapid-transit-light-rail/calgarys-open-west-lrt-completes-7-avenue-project/|access-date=2021-07-14|website=Railway Track and Structures|language=en-US}} opened for revenue.{{Cite web|last=Potkins|first=Meghan|date=November 7, 2012|title=West LRT line will open Dec. 10 on time, city says (with video)|url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/West+line+will+open+schedule+city+says/7513159/story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208162551/http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/West+line+will+open+schedule+city+says/7513159/story.html|archive-date=December 8, 2012|access-date=July 13, 2021|website=Calgary Herald}}{{Cite book|last1=Metro International|url=https://archive.org/details/metro-calgary-2012-11-08|title=Metro Calgary - November 8, 2012|last2=Atlantic Free Daily Newspapers Inc.|date=2012-11-08}}
Connections
= Calgary Transit =
66 - Lakeview70 - Valley Ridge Express
90 - Bridgeland / 90 - University of Calgary
Around the station
= Major destinations =
= Communities =
Residential
- Beltline
- West Connaught (sub-community of the Beltline)
- Downtown West End
- Scarboro
- Scarboro West/Sunalta West
- Sunalta
= Education facilities =
Primary schools
- Connaught Elementary
- Sunalta Elementary
= Major streets =
- 10 Avenue SW
- 14 Street SW
- 17 Avenue SW
- Bow Trail
- Crowchild Trail
Crime
Sunalta Station has been criticized for being a crime hotspot in the Calgary C-Train System. On a CityNews interview in January 2022 with Calgary Transit Lead Staff 'Stephen Tauro', it was listed as one of the 5 stations with an unusually high crime rate. The others being: Marlborough, Rundle, Southland and Heritage Stations.{{Citation |title=Recent stabbings leave Calgary transit riders feeling unsafe | date=11 January 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPRbncjbJXc |language=en |access-date=2022-12-17}}
During the month of March 2023, an underground drug operation along the Calgary C-Train system would get disrupted. Officers seized the substances of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine and xanax. Multiple weapons such as 21 knives, two machetes, two hatchets, a handgun, and a can of bear spray were also seized by police. 40 people would get arrested between multiple stations, Sunalta Station along with Franklin, Southland, Marlborough, Heritage, Rundle, Whitehorn, Brentwood, Chinook, Crowfoot, 8th Street SW, Anderson, Dalhousie, Westbrook Stations would have arrests relating to the aforementioned drug trade.{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/calgary-transit-crime-safety-undercover-drug-operation|title=Police charge 40 people in CTrain undercover drug operation | Calgary Herald}}
Emergency crews were called to Sunalta LRT Station at around 11:30 PM on the Friday night of April 28, 2017, after reports of a physical altercation between two men came in. When arrived, one of the men had suffered from serious stabbing-related injuries, and would be pronounced dead on the scene.{{cite web |title=Calgary police search for suspect in fatal stabbing at Sunalta CTrain Station - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca |website=Global News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404172022/https://globalnews.ca/news/3413959/fatal-stabbing-near-sunalta-ctrain-station-friday/ |archive-date=2023-04-04 |url-status=live |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3413959/fatal-stabbing-near-sunalta-ctrain-station-friday/}}
Transit peace officers were called to Sunalta LRT Station at approximately 11:40 PM on Wednesday November 30, 2022 after they were notified about a group of people loitering and causing disturbances at the station. The officers spoke with the individuals; during the interaction, one individual became argumentative with the officers and refused to leave. The man was determined to already have outstanding warrants and would be taken into custody after the altercation, where quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl were seized.{{Cite web |date=December 1, 2022 |title=Man charged for causing a disturbance at Transit station |url=https://newsroom.calgary.ca/man-charged-for-causing-a-disturbance-at-transit-station/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404051326/https://newsroom.calgary.ca/man-charged-for-causing-a-disturbance-at-transit-station/ |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |website=Calgary Police Newsroom}}
File:SunaltaCTrainConstruction.JPG
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