Push for City Council to Experience Calgary Transit During Budget Week
Calgary City Council is set to delve into its 2026 budget deliberations this month, with public transportation emerging as a central focus for the city's future. These critical discussions, scheduled for public submissions and council deliberations from November 24-28, 2025, will culminate in final approval expected by month-end.
At the heart of these deliberations are significant proposed investments in public transportation. The key areas of focus include enhancing service frequency, bolstering fare affordability programs, and executing essential maintenance and safety upgrades across the Calgary Transit network.
These discussions come at a crucial time for Calgary. The city has experienced considerable population growth, and transit ridership continues its strong recovery, projected to increase further in 2025 and beyond. Calgary Transit reported over 101 million trips in 2024, a 12 percent increase from the previous year, with the CTrain network, in particular, seeing a full rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Despite this surge in demand, Calgary Transit faces projected funding shortfalls, partly due to the rising costs of the vital low-income transit pass program. Transit officials have urged council for substantial investment to meet current and future growth pressures, noting they are "tapped out" in their ability to expand services without additional funding.
The importance of a robust transit system extends beyond daily commutes. A well-developed public transit network is integral to Calgary's downtown revitalization efforts, aimed at attracting residents and businesses back to the core and fostering a more connected, mixed-use urban environment. The decisions made in the upcoming budget will directly influence the livability and connectivity of Calgary for years to come.
