Calgary Transit has released details of how transit service will change this fall due to budget cuts.
In July, Calgary city council approved $60 million in budget cuts to accommodate $130.9 million tax relief package for city businesses. The Calgary budget cuts were needed after a massive tax shift with downtown properties plummeting in value. That forced the tax burden on to smaller Calgary businesses.
As previously reported, Calgary Transit service was set to take one of the biggest hits in the cuts. Overall, Calgary Transit will reduce transit hours by 80,000, reducing frequency and span of rides.
Calgary Transit said they were asked to find savings in their budget for the remainder of the year. They add a review of routes and schedules included identifying ways they could save money while taking the “least-harm approach” to service levels.
The changes are scheduled to begin on September 2nd and impact both bus and CTrain routes.
Here is a breakdown of the major changes:
- Service frequency on Red and Blue CTrain lines will be reduced from 10 to 15 minutes on weekends and after 8 p.m. on weekdays
- Weekend service will be ending around 10 p.m. on various bus routes across the city
- Weekend trip frequency will change from 30 minutes to 40 minutes on various routes across the city
A more detailed breakdown of changes can be found on the Calgary Transit website.
