The future we need from Calgary Transit
By Rue Parmar, October 16 2025—
A growing Calgary population means an increase in general busyness and an increased necessity for safe and efficient transportation throughout the city. With a chance to renew our city council, Calgary residents can look to modernize our everyday public transit systems.
Since 1909, Calgary Transit has served the city with evolving transportation technology, beginning with streetcars and trolleys and now operating electric buses and an LRT system.
Whether you are a post-secondary student or a corporate worker, the LRT is vital to citywide access. Hundreds of bus routes run through residential and community-connecting lines while the red and blue train lines form an “X” across Calgary, linking all four corners of the city to the downtown core. In such a lively, diverse and widespread city, public transit is nearly unavoidable and absolutely necessary.
However, despite its benefits, Calgary Transit is in serious need of renewal. Current infrastructure and staffing are not sufficient to support a population that continues to grow and change. At the same time, each rider’s needs are unique and many remain unmet, with recurring issues such as overcrowding on residential bus routes, inaccessible train stations and the delayed expansion of the green line demanding urgent attention.
Residential communities, especially those further from the city centre, have been left behind. Transit planning often relies on outdated assumptions about “adequate coverage,” while overlooking new housing developments, high immigration rates and rapid population growth.
While mature areas like Dalhousie and Fish Creek enjoy strong transit connections, newer communities such as Redstone and Mahogany face limited-to-no service at all. Expansion into these areas is planned via the green line and extensions of current routes, but the promise of future growth does not address today’s pressing gaps. Hiring more available drivers and adding larger, more frequent buses would provide immediate relief while permanent solutions are built, with the added benefit of reinvesting in the local economy.
Accessibility is another urgent concern. While it’s true that downtown stations sit at the street level, with flat, ramped platforms that allow easy access from sidewalks and crosswalks, busy stations such as University Station and Marlborough Station require passengers to climb long flights of stairs over highways before descending again into the platform.
While ramps and service elevators technically exist at these locations, they are often impractical: ramps are lengthy and exhausting for those with mobility differences, while steep stairs remain a barrier for many riders.
Addressing this issue requires both creativity and serious municipal investment. Small, shorter staircases could provide incremental improvement, but a more ambitious solution, such as replacing overhead crossings with underground entrances equipped with elevators and escalators, would create lasting accessibility.
Finally, the long-delayed green line highlights the need for political will. First proposed in 2011, the project has faced over a decade of funding disputes between municipal and provincial governments. Only in June of this year did construction finally begin on the Southeast and downtown segments, but this project is critical for the future of the city.
The green line will run through the centre of the existing “X,” connecting north-central Calgary to the southeast. It’s an expansion that will give isolated residential areas direct access to the city core, where a vast majority of corporate work occurs. This project has been highly anticipated by Calgarians, but ongoing political conflict and competing budget priorities have slowed progress to a crawl. To resolve this, our new city council must approach the green line with resilience and determination. Calgary needs this expansion, and all levels of government must recognize it as an essential investment in the city’s growth.
Calgary is a city that thrives on the growth, diversity and innovation of its people, and our transit system must keep aligned with this ever-changing reality. Investing in expanded routes, accessible infrastructure and long-promised projects like the green line is not just about convenience — it’s about preparing for the vibrant city we are becoming.
With renewed leadership and collective determination, we have the opportunity to build a transit system that reflects the needs of every Calgarian.
This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.