Changes to inner-city Calgary bus routes could leave some transit users scrambling to find alternatives.
According to information received by Metro, 10 city bus routes are either being altered or removed completely by Calgary Transit starting on June 28.
Citing low ridership and reduction in redundant routes, CT will be axing Route 449 entirely, Route 411 will only provide peak hour service, while other routes will be combined or re-routed, according to the document.
For transit user Gill Crosley, the changes to her route might deter her from using the bus entirely. “It picks me up right outside my house and drops me off … and takes me downtown,” she said.
Crosley takes the 403, which is said to be combining with the 433, and she’s concerned about a more crowded bus and longer commute to downtown.
“I wouldn’t use (the bus), I’d just walk,” she said.
These changes are likely part of a prescribed cut in Calgary Transit service hours, according to CT, though, it’s uncertain how many total hours these changes will affect.
“In 2010, I believe the (overall) approved service reduction is 21,500 hours,” said Calgary Transit’s Theresa Keddy.
Six months after implementation, the routes will be monitored for the effectiveness of changes.
Two weeks before the cuts are made, Calgary Transit will be handing out onboard notices to riders on the affected routes.
Around June 18, the new bus routes will be posted at www.calgarytransit.com
