On July 4, 2023, Council approved an updated 30-year strategic plan for Calgary Transit, known as RouteAhead. RouteAhead provides direction for planning and investing in transit in Calgary to improve service and customer experience. The project team developed the plan through extensive engagement with Calgarians. The engagement identified Calgarians’ priorities and values, and the project team used those to inform every part of the plan.

In the updated plan, RouteAhead identified key projects throughout Calgary including 52 Street East Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), 144 Avenue North BRT, MAX Purple Extension, 162 Avenue South BRT, and West Bow BRT, Light Rail Transit (LRT) extensions for the Red Line and Blue Line, as well as other Primary Transit Network projects, such as Airport Link and Shaganappi Trail. We are conducting public engagement on ongoing projects.

See below for more information on current projects.

There are many transit initiatives taking place in the city. This directory is regularly updated with new projects and makes it easier to find out about and stay in touch with projects you are interested in. You can also learn about how projects fit together to support the RouteAhead strategic plan in the short and long term.

You can also learn about the details of each local project by clicking through the project tiles below.

The City is launching the following transit capital projects to improve transportation options across Calgary. Below is an overview of the projects currently underway.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Projects:

• 52 Street East BRT Functional Planning Study

• 144 Avenue North BRT Functional Planning Study

• MAX Purple East Extension Functional Planning Study

• North Centre BRT Detailed Design and Construction

Light Rail Transit (LRT) Projects:

• Red Line LRT South Extension Functional Planning Study

• Blue Line LRT North Extension Preliminary Design

Other Primary Transit Network Projects:

• Airport Connection Functional Planning Study
• Shaganappi Trail Transit Study

How we prioritize projects

The City uses a process approved by Council to decide which transit projects to prioritize. This process builds on the Green Line analysis and the original RouteAhead project list to keep things consistent. Projects are evaluated based on their benefits in five key areas: ridership, customer experience, economic impact, social value, and environmental impact. Each area is weighted to ensure the most important factors are considered. For information on the project evaluation process, please see Section 4.5.2 of the RouteAhead 10-Year Update.

The Primary Transit Network (PTN) 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.

Developing new transit services such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) involves a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to ensure the project is successful and beneficial for the community. Each stage is critical to creating a transit network that meets needs, is efficient, and contributes positively to the public and interested parties.

1. Planning: Determine approximate routes and stops by analyzing where people live, work, and travel to ensure the transit system meets transit demand.
2. Project Development: Work with the public and interested parties to conduct functional planning studies to finalize alignments, identify station locations, protect the right-of-way, estimate costs, define project benefits, and evaluate risks.
3. Detailed Design: Develop precise engineering plans for tracks/roadways, stations, and other infrastructure to ensure safety, accessibility, and environmental compliance.
4. Construction: Build the physical infrastructure, including laying tracks, constructing stations, installing signals, and integrating transit with surrounding roads and neighborhoods.
5. Operations: Launch bus and train services, providing safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transit options for the community.

The timing of transit projects depends on things like how much funding is available, how fast the city grows, how quickly projects can be prepared for construction, and what the City's priorities are at the time. For more details about how transit projects are planned and prioritized, and a general idea of when new transit services might be built along different corridors, look at Figure 4-N on page 67 of RouteAhead.