Transit users in three of four Calgary quadrants will have new options starting next week, and they come by request.
Beginning Aug. 18, Calgary Transit will significantly expand its on-demand service offering with service being added to Ambleton in North Calgary, Glacier Ridge and Sage Hill in the northwest, Ricardo Ranch, Seton and Rangeview in the southeast and Pine Creek, Belmont and Yorkville in the southwest. These are primarily new communities on Calgary’s periphery.
Later this month, on demand will be added to the University of Calgary’s Spy Hill Campus, and the Calgary Police Service Spy Hill location, according to Calgary Transit.
Currently, the service is available in the north Calgary communities of Carrington and Livingston. During COVID, when ridership was lower, there was ongoing discussion about switching some of the lowest-performing routes in established communities to on-demand transit.
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp had been advocating for the expansion of on-demand transit service in the northwest, with transit access issues in that area.
On Demand Transit allows users to book a ride through the On Demand Calgary Transit app for a designated pick-up location for transport to nearby commercial and transit hubs.
“For new communities under development where the population density is low, there aren’t as many transit customers as there are in established communities. This makes it expensive and inefficient to provide traditional bus service with set routes and fixed schedules,” according to Calgary Transit.
“On demand, shared transportation service provides an opportunity to introduce cost-effective and efficient transit service sooner to developing communities.”
Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer said the addition of on-demand transit service to southeast communities allows people to start planning routines and discovering how to make transit a part of their commute.
“This is a great way to make sure that there’s not a massive service gap between when somebody moves into a developing neighborhood down in the southeast and when transit becomes a viable option,” Spencer told LWC.
Incredible ridership potential in SE, says Coun. Spencer
The on-demand service in the southeast will offer pick-ups in Ricardo Ranch, Seton and Rangeview, with drop-off points at the Superstore at Seton Way, where users can transfer to buses 75 and 79. Or, they can go to South Health Campus, where they can pick up routes 14, 23, 75, 79 and the 302.
Maps are available for all the new services on Calgary Transit’s website.
Coun. Spencer said adding the new service is part of unlocking the ridership potential in the area. He said it’s part of a strategy to encourage people in the southeast to consider transit as a viable option.
“The issue with this part of the city is there’s incredible ridership potential, but not as great of ridership – actual numbers – as you could have if the service was better,” he said.
“There’s places in Ward 12 right now that have fixed road service, but because of the frequency and the kinds of connections that they have to make, it makes it not a very viable service in terms of the length of time it takes to get from one place to another. So, on demand is going to allow for those that are using it to hopefully have a better experience.”
It’s not a make-good for the recent decision to cut back Calgary’s Green Line, Spencer said, as discussions about the expansion of the service were happening before council made that decision last month.
“On demand was absolutely a part of trying to build ridership, and I think It would have been important either way,” he said.
“In my mind, this is the base, this is the floor of what transit service should look like in any jurisdiction. I love the fact that it’s valuable, that it goes to where the riders are, feeds the city data, helps us make better decisions in the future while building transit usage in places that are developing in our city.”
