The MAX Purple East project is a Functional Planning Study. It was identified as a priority project in Calgary Transit’s 30-year strategic plan, Route Ahead, which was council-approved on July 4, 2023. As per the plan, the existing transitway along 17th Avenue will be extended to the eastern city limits, improving transit connectivity, and service quality in underserved areas of East Calgary.

MAX Purple is an east-west route on Calgary’s Primary Transit Network (PTN) between Downtown and Belvedere. The MAX Purple route intersects with several PTN routes for more direct connections (ie. Blue & Red Line LRT, future Green Line, and MAX Lines (Yellow and future 52 St E BRT).

The transit infrastructure and experience will be comparable to the existing MAX Purple transitway with reliable and faster service to work, play and work destinations and transit transfer locations along 17th Avenue SE. Customer experience will be improved with amenities such as well-lit heated shelters, real time displays and quality connections. For more information about the MAX Network, visit the Calgary Transit page here: MAX

The main goals of the study include:

• Improving service: Extending the high-quality MAX Purple BRT infrastructure from 54 Street S.E. to 116 Street S.E., focusing on service reliability, travel time, and user experience.

• Assessing infrastructure needs: Identifying land requirements and infrastructure for the extension.

• Determining optimal station locations: Establishing station placements to maximize efficiency.

• Implementing transit priority measures: Ensuring the new route supports faster, more reliable travel.

• Enhancing accessibility: Improving pedestrian and cyclist access to the transit service.

• Public consultation: Gathering feedback from residents and businesses to ensure the design aligns with community needs and priorities. Feedback gathered during Phase 1 will directly inform concept development and guide future planning.

The MAX Purple East Extension BRT study will focus on the segment of 17 Avenue S.E., from 54 Street S.E. to 116 Street S.E. The study will explore ways to enhance transit services here, improving access for residents and businesses, while further connecting Calgary’s diverse neighborhoods.

Through this Functional Planning Study, we will:

• Work with the public and key audience to understand the opportunities and/or constraints, as well as their needs, wants, concerns, and ideas;

• Develop a functional plan for the MAX Purple East corridor including BRT stations, access to transit service, transit priority measures, roads, and intersections;

• Determine the phasing and cost of the project;

• Identify the necessary right-of-way and develop a business case to acquire funding for future project phases.

The planning and design process

This Functional Planning Study is the first step in upgrading transit along MAX Purple East. It will establish the functional plan for the BRT, including station locations, designs, and land requirements. After completion, the project will move into the design and construction phases as funding becomes available.

See FAQ for more information about the planning and design process of a project and for the public engagement process.

Q: What are Functional Planning Studies for MAX Projects?

A: MAX Functional Planning Studies:

• Determine a final design recommendation for the future MAX corridor to improve transit service and connections for Calgarians.

• Are an early step in planning how transit infrastructure will be designed, including MAX/BRT routes, stations, access to transit service, transit priority measures, roads, and intersections.

• Recommend the necessary right-of-way for the MAX/BRT project, conduct the cost estimation, define the project benefits, and identify risks.

• Focuses on gathering input from the public and interested parties to understand current issues, constraints, and the needs and preferences of local residents. This feedback ensures that the plans address the concerns and desires of the community.

• Prepares a project to be shovel-ready, meaning it is ready to move forward with design and construction. Being shovel-ready is important for getting funding. Once the project is funded, the functional design will be developed into a detailed design, where specific features will be planned in further detail.

Q: What happens after the functional planning study?

The functional planning study will position a project to be shovel-ready, enabling it to advance the design and construction. This readiness is important for securing funding. If the project becomes funded, the recommended concept design will move into detailed design where the specific features will be planned in further detail.

Q: What is the primary transit network and the MAX line?

The Primary Transit Network is the core of Calgary’s transit system. It features high-quality, high-frequency service designed to be fast and convenient. Services on these key corridors are planned to run every 10 minutes or less, 15 hours a day, seven days a week.

Key Features of the Primary Transit Network:

• High-frequency service: Transit services operate every 10 minutes or less for at least 15 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Convenient: Designed to be faster and more accessible for customers.

• Service quality: Focuses on providing excellent service, not just on the type of vehicle used.

• Flexible: Allows customers to travel freely without having to plan around a schedule, encouraging more people to use transit.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) means limited stop bus service on existing streets, shared with automobiles. In Calgary, BRT buses get priority at traffic lights and may use special lanes or queue jumps to avoid delays from congestion. This type of BRT is cost-effective and helps passengers reach their destinations faster than local bus routes.

MAX Line is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line with additional features. The benefits of a MAX line include more frequent service, fewer stops, transit priority measures (dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, etc.), heated shelters, real-time information displays, and more direct connections. It all adds up to more convenience, more comfort, and more connections. (e.g., MAX Orange, MAX Purple, MAX Teal, and MAX Yellow).

Q: What work has been done on 17 Avenue E so far?

In 2018, the City of Calgary introduced the MAX network out of which MAX Purple services 17th Avenue SE. The dedicated transit lanes and MAX stations were built as a part of the project from Inglewood to 54 St SE resulting in a faster service, improved reliability, and customer experience.

This Functional Planning Study will extend the transitway further east to the city limits.

Q: What other City of Calgary projects are happening around 17 Avenue SE?

• Pathway and Bikeway projects – Ward 9

• 52 St E BRT Functional Planning Study

• Development in Belvedere Community

Q: Will the project be constructed?

The functional planning study for the MAX Purple East is fully funded. However, funding for the detailed design and construction has not yet been secured. Once funding is allocated, we will be able to provide estimated timelines for the next phases of the project.

We want to hear from you! Public input is a valuable part of developing the plan. Your feedback will play a key role in guiding the next phases of the study. The feedback will be used to understand the needs and influence the station locations, designs, amenities and connections to future MAX Purple.

How will your feedback be used?

Public feedback, along with technical information, City policies and best practice research will be used to develop a design concept that will meet current and future community needs.

The engagement process for the MAX Purple BRT study will be conducted in three phases:

• Phase 1: Discover - Gather initial feedback to inform the design concept options.

• Phase 2: Explore - Share design concept options for public feedback.

• Phase 3: Refine - Present the preferred design options and gather feedback to finalize the plan.