Some suburban councillors concerned with transit plan for frequent-service network
The city's Route Ahead transit plan took another step forward on Friday, though some councillors remain divided over a push to prioritize frequency over coverage.
As the system rebuilds after the double whammy of an economic downturn followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, transit is looking to shift its priorities with a focus on more frequent trips on its primary transit network — the main lines that form the backbone of the city's system.
Council's infrastructure and planning committee heard Thursday that the new goal is for buses and trains to run every 10 minutes or better on the core network from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To meet that target, coverage may be reduced in some areas, meaning some people may have to walk farther to catch a bus.
One transit advocate speaking at the public hearing suggested 15 hours a day of more frequent service might not be enough.
“That might work for a sleepy city on the prairies, but not a city racing toward two million people,” said Jeff Binks, president of LRT on the Green. “In the summer, the sun is still up. People are still enjoying downtown patios. A person on the evening shift in Foothills Industrial still isn't done work.”
Binks said 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. would be a better window for frequent transit service.
Coun. Jasmine Mian said the city continually hears concerns from riders about frequency.
“That is the No. 1 thing that comes up over and over and over again, through every type of engagement we do, is that the buses and the LRT do not come frequently enough,” said Mian.
However, some councillors with newer communities in their wards expressed concerns about the trade-off of less coverage.
Ward 13 Coun. Dan Mclean said he has concerns that routes are being cut back too much in his ward.
“I'm a little disappointed because they have cut back some of the routes, especially to the deep south where communities are growing,” he said. “Lots of new Calgarians — thousands — are coming in. And it seems like there's always more of a focus on transit for the inner city.”
He said he's seen examples of seniors centres that are losing stops, which will mean those residents will have to walk several blocks to catch a bus.
Coun. Jennifer Wyness asked administration how transit would help people move about their wards, rather than just getting them to the inner city.
“So you're doing a 10-minute (frequency), but essentially your goal is to move everybody within 10 minutes to the downtown core. But a lot of people want to move in and around their communities just as fast to get to the grocery store.”
Administration responded that the primary transit network includes crosstown routes and strives to connect all activity centres around the city.
In a 6-5 vote, the committee narrowly approved the changes, which will now go to council for a final vote. Councillors Mclean, Wyness, Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot and Peter Demong voted against the changes.
Sharp said she couldn't support the new direction because she was left wondering what the trade-offs are when it comes to frequency over coverage.
“If there was any sort of example or business case administration could have provided us, it would have been better,” she said.
Sharp said she heard examples in which people would need to walk 20 minutes to get to a bus stop, and that doesn't take into account people with mobility issues or the fact that Calgary is a winter city.
Like Wyness, she also had concerns it was too focused on the downtown and inner city, to the detriment of newer communities.
“I look at places like Valley Ridge that don't have frequent bus service, and we have a high concentration of university students that are trying to get to school,” said Sharp. “They need to get to the train station, and there's not a bus service right now.”
Sharp said she might get behind the changes if administration can respond to some of her concerns when the final Route Ahead report comes to council in the spring.