Project Update

Project update - July 2023

On July 4, 2023, Council approved an updated RouteAhead, Calgary Transit’s 30-year plan.

Below is a summary of what stayed the same and what changed. To read the full plan and capital project prioritization list, please click here.

RouteAhead

What stayed the same:

  • Enables Calgary Transit to be a preferred travel choice
  • The core principles:
    • Customer experience
    • Network planning
    • Financing transit
  • 30-year plan to guide operating and capital investments and improvements to the customer experience
  • Background information on Calgary Transit operations
  • Visions, directions and strategies to action each core principle
  • Capital project prioritization list to grow the network

What changed:

New
  • Vision and mission statements
  • Metrics to tell the story of transit service through annual reports
  • Increased focus on building the Primary Transit Network
  • Mechanisms to keep the capital prioritization list up to date
  • Emphasis on the customer’s entire transit journey, the importance of safety and accessibility
Updated
  • Content for the strategies and directions to support core principles and implementation
  • Principles for designing the transit network
  • Projects within the capital project prioritization list to grow the network
  • Look and content organization
  • To align with new Council approved policies
  • Transit service level improvement investment
  • Park and ride policy through new station area access principles
  • Highlights importance of linking transit and land use planning to achieve Municipal Development Plan Goals

About the Project

About the Project

In 2012, Calgary Transit created RouteAhead, a 30-year plan that provides direction for planning and investing in transit in Calgary. RouteAhead guides planning for transit infrastructure projects and investments to improve transit service and the customer experience. The plan ensures development throughout the city consistently prioritizes access to safe and reliable public transportation.

RouteAhead was originally developed through extensive consultation with Calgarians, identifying their priorities and values, and using them to inform every part of the plan.

Knowing that priorities change over time, RouteAhead had a schedule to refresh the plan every ten years. This ensures it still meets the changing needs of Calgarians and stays up-to-date with technological advancements and social needs and priorities.

As part of this refresh, we spoke with Calgarians in August and September 2022 to make sure that RouteAhead is moving in the right direction for the next 30 years.

What We Heard

What We Heard

Engagement took place August 22 to September 23, 2022. Online engagement took place in the form of a survey. Printed project information and surveys were available at Fair Entry kiosks, which could be downloaded.

Participant responses showed a personal investment in Calgary Transit as an important part of their current routine. Most participants are regular public transit users and take Calgary Transit either daily or a few days a week. The most common reasons for not taking transit more often were safety and it being faster to drive. For the next five years, respondents want Transit to prioritize frequency and safety. For the next 10 years, they want Transit to prioritize network design. Over the next 30 years, they want Transit to prioritize taking care of the environment. For a more detailed summary, please refer to the What We Heard Report.

What We Heard Report

Reporting back to Calgarians on What We Heard during the public engagement from August 22, 2022 to September 23, 2022

Appendix A

Questions for Calgarians: comments from everyday Calgarians, transit users and visitors

Appendix B

Questions for Organizations and Businesses: comments from representatives for organizations (including members or clients), nonprofits, and businesses and their customers

Appendix C

The Hub: What is Calgary Transit currently doing well?

Appendix D

The Hub: What could Calgary Transit do to improve the customer experience?

Appendix E

Participants' home communities

FAQ

RouteAhead FAQ