Marda Loop businesses call on city for support amid ongoing construction and accessibility concerns

Calgarians driving into the southwest community of Marda Loop will be met with bumper-to-bumper traffic and delays for the next several months, much to the frustration of nearby local businesses.

Calgarians driving into the southwest community of Marda Loop will be met with bumper-to-bumper traffic and delays for the next several months, much to the frustration of nearby local businesses.

Upgrades on the main streets including 33rd and 34thAvenue S.W. are now underway which include the creation of a multi-use pathway, new sidewalks, and improved pedestrian crossings.

The project won’t be completed until November and with parking in the area already at a premium, some business owners worry about the potential of drastic revenue losses.

"We train just under 200 people every single day in our gym and they all look for street parking," said Martin Venneri, the owner of F45 Marda Loop.

"We run on a class-based schedule, which means people have to be here at a certain time and we're finding people showing up late or maybe not showing up so this situation is definitely affecting us," Venneri said.

He added that some sections of Marda Loop also have ‘no parking’ signs up, while no construction is taking place nearby.

"It really just doesn’t make any sense."