On July 4, 2023, Council approved an updated 30-year strategic plan for Calgary Transit, known as RouteAhead. RouteAhead is to guide operating and capital investments and improvements to the customer experience. The RouteAhead identified key projects in Calgary such as the 144 Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) associated with the Symons Valley Transit Terminal as an important transit corridor that will support rapidly growing communities.

This study

The City is launching a functional planning study for the 144 Avenue North Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and Symons Valley Transit Terminal. This study aims to improve transit service and connectivity in North Calgary, focusing on the growing area’s future mobility needs and constraints.

The 144 Av N BRT will serve as a vital cross-town route, linking major transit lines like the Red Line LRT, Green Line LRT, Shaganappi Primary Transit Network (PTN), and Blue Line LRT. The primary goal of the BRT functional planning study is to deliver a safe, reliable, and sustainable transit service that effectively meets the community's future mobility demands. The functional planning study will provide a recommended functional plan, protect the necessary right-of-way, and support the business case to acquire funding.

Part of the Functional Planning Study will look at the Symons Valley Terminal; a key part of the Symons Valley Centre project, phase 1 and 2, set to be built in 2028. This terminal will serve as a major transit hub, enhancing transit services by supporting the future 144 Avenue BRT and various local bus routes. To ensure the terminal operates smoothly and integrates effectively with the overall project, the planning for the 144 Avenue North BRT will be closely aligned with the Symons Valley Centre development.

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 preferred design for the 144 Av N BRT corridor including BRT route, stations, access to transit service, transit priority measures, roads, and intersections;
• Recommend the preferred design option of the Symons Valley Terminal including walking, wheeling, cycling, driving, and transit service;
• Determine the phasing and cost of the project.

Study area

See the approximate route as outlined in the RouteAhead for the 144 Avenue North BRT below.

We are working closely with other current and future transit and housing projects in the North Calgary region to ensure a well-planned transit approach.

Below you will find a map of current and future projects in the North Calgary region.

The purpose of a BRT functional planning study is to develop a recommended functional plan for a future transit corridor and prepare the project to be ready to advance the design and construction. When the funding is secured for the next stages, the recommended functional plan would go to detailed design where the specific features would be planned in further detail.

We want to hear from you! Public input is a valuable part of developing the plan. Your feedback will help inform future phases of the study.

How your feedback will be used

We will collect input from the public, along with technical data, City policies, budgets and best practices to inform the plan. The studies findings will show how transit connects with other transportation modes along the corridor and help guide future transit development.

The engagement process for the 144 Avenue North 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 options and gather feedback to refine and prepare the preferred plan.

Transit development priorities

We want to confirm what we heard from Calgarians in the RouteAhead to help us plan for transit solutions for the area and the long-term plan for 144 Avenue N BRT transit corridor.

RouteAhead transit development priorities:

In December 2024, we will share a report summarizing the feedback we received during Phase 1: Discover. This report will inform the project team’s work to prepare for Phase 2: Explore, where we will share design concept options for public feedback.

For each project phase, we’ll create a dedicated “What We Heard” report, ensuring that we build on insights from one phase to the next. Through our reporting process we will also share how public input influenced the design concept options and the preferred plan.