Calgary’s downtown Free Fare Zone is officially under review, as the city is launching a three-week customer survey to help inform a decision on the topic.
Two weeks ago, Calgary Couns. Andrew Yule and John Pantazopoulos put forward a Notice of Motion for a full review of the free fare zone, along with engagement with city partners and riders to measure the financial impact of its potential removal.
“The free fare zone has been around forever. Even before the LRT, we had a bus that was a free fare zone downtown,” Coun. Yule said at the time.
“It’s a legacy, and we’re a new council, brand new, 10 new councillors. We’re looking under every rock. Is everything working the way it should?”
Previously, when the matter was discussed during November 2025 budget deliberations, councillors learned that roughly six million trips annually begin and end in the downtown free fare zone.
Now, between Feb. 16 and March 8, Calgary Transit will be conducting a survey on the free fare zone. It’s part of a broader fare revenue policy review.
“We know that Calgary has grown quite a lot since the Free Fare Zone was approved for CTrain service back in 1981,” said Tess Abanto, Leader of Revenue Streams at Calgary Transit, in a prepared news release.
“We also know that travel patterns, Calgary’s population and destinations have also changed in the past 40 years. This exercise is about level-setting the value of the Free Fare Zone for Calgarians and the role public transit plays in our downtown today and the future.”
The stretch along 7 Avenue has been a dedicated transit-only passage since the 1970s, in advance of the LRT coming through the downtown.
Calgary Transit is continuing to look at ways to fund greater service delivery, as per the renewed Route Ahead strategy. That calls for a Primary Transit Network that delivers 10-15 minute service for 15 hours a day, seven days a week.
Big need for more Calgary Transit funding
In 2023, city councillors heard that it would take a $750 million capital investment over the next 10 years to reach the Route Ahead service goals. Councillors recently heard that Calgary Transit requires $2.3 billion in infrastructure funding over the next 10 years to address areas deemed in poor or very poor condition that could have a significant impact on Calgarians.
Calgarians can find the survey on the City of Calgary’s Free Fare Zone Study page.
Input will be used to report on the value of the zone and make recommendations for future fare options in the area.
“It will also be combined with information that has already been gathered regarding user behaviour, practices in other jurisdictions, and internal engagements,” the City of Calgary said.
Alex Williams of the advocacy group Calgary Transit Riders said that they’re supportive of keeping the downtown transit free fare zone, perhaps even extending it. He is interested in seeing more data on its use, however.
“There are a lot of people that benefit from it, especially people who live downtown, people who go downtown for festivals and stuff and are maybe transiting around that line back and forth for an extended period of time throughout the day,” he said.
Williams acknowledged that there could be a significant portion of Calgarians – or visitors to the downtown – who would be fine with paying a fare to use transit in the downtown.
“The tricky thing is, free transit doesn’t necessarily translate to more riders. It just gets people to stop walking and take transit instead.”
Calgary recently upped the single adult fare to $4 to help generate more revenue.
Also, the TD Bank Group pulled its sponsorship of the free fare zone prematurely back in November 2025.
