Calgary Transit has announced a significant overhaul of its service, planning to phase out all eight of its remaining express bus routes by 2027. The move, driven by consistently low passenger numbers, aims to reallocate resources to bolster service on neighbourhood and priority routes that serve more Calgarians throughout the day.
Petition Fights to Save Valley Ridge Express Service
The decision has not been met without resistance. Transit users who rely on the express service from the northwest community of Valley Ridge to downtown have launched a petition urging the city to maintain Route 70. The petition has already gathered more than 730 signatures, demonstrating strong community opposition to the cut.
Ward 1 Councillor Kim Tyers raised concerns during recent budget deliberations, questioning why the route was being discontinued with only a few weeks' notice given to long-time riders. "We've had people riding this route since the '90s," Tyers stated. "For me, I think if people have been riding it for that long, it'd be important to consult them before you take it away."
The End of an Era for Commuter Routes
Express bus routes are designed for suburban commuters heading directly to the city centre with few or no intermediate stops. The routes slated for discontinuation, starting in December 2025 and continuing through 2026, are: 62, 64, 70, 109, 117, 131, 142, and 151.
According to Calgary Transit, Route 70 averages only about 100 boardings per day, which likely represents approximately 50 round-trip passengers. The agency stated that the cost of operating these limited, peak-time routes is high compared to regular services, making them an inefficient use of finite resources like buses and drivers.
Strategic Shift Towards an All-Day Network
This strategic shift is not a sudden change but stems from RouteAhead, the transit agency's 30-year strategic plan. The plan directs Calgary Transit to build a robust primary transit network composed of reliable, two-way, all-day services.
"The shift from express routes to more two-way, all-day service will allow us to serve more Calgarians and more destinations for a longer span of time each day," explained a Calgary Transit spokesperson. The resources saved from cutting the underperforming express lines will be redirected to improve frequency and coverage on busier community routes.
The first route to be affected is the Route 70-Valley Ridge Express, which will see its final run on December 21, 2025, as part of the winter service changes. Calgary Transit has indicated that the discontinuation of the remaining express routes in future seasonal service changes may come with additional adjustments to local service in impacted areas to provide comparable travel alternatives.
