DCHP-2

Plus-15 +15 DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Alberta (Calgary), Transportation

  a system of sheltered overhead walkways connecting buildings in downtown Calgary (see Image 1); often in compounds, as in Plus-15 walkway or Plus-15 system.

  Type: 1. Origin — Plus-15 takes its name from the fact that the walkways are located approximately 15 feet above street level. Other similar walkway systems exist, such as the Minneapolis Skyway; however, the name Plus-15 appears to be unique to Calgary.
  The first Plus-15 walkway opened in Calgary in 1970 to shelter pedestrians traveling from Calgary Place to the Calgary Inn. As of 2013, there were 62 bridges and 18 km of walkways connecting various locations in downtown Calgary (see City of Calgary reference). Image 2 shows the 2016 Plus-15 network in downtown Calgary. Plus-15 may be used attributively, as in "the Plus-15 crowd" (see the 1998 quotation).
  The term is relatively unknown outside of Canada (see Chart 1), and within Canada has currency virtually only in Alberta (see Chart 2). Other cities use different names for underground walkways that serve the same function of escaping the freezing Canadian winter weather (e.g. the PATH in Toronto or the ville souterraine, officially known as the réseau piétonnier souterrain (RÉSO, 'network of pedestrian underground') in Montreal).
  See also COD-2, s.v. "Plus-15", which is marked "Cdn".