Calgary Transit and the Environment

When you use Calgary Transit as part of your trip, you are not only getting a cost- effective way to travel, you are also reducing your environmental impacts on the environment.

Reducing vehicular emission is one of most important ways we can improve Calgary’s air quality. Six of the seven major air pollutants come from cars and light trucks, with the average car emitting four tons of pollutants every year. Transportation is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions (27%), which are expected to cause major climate change impacts in the future.

In Calgary, over 160,000 people work and travel into the downtown core every day. More than 46% of these people travel by Calgary Transit to work. If these people decided to drive instead of using Transit, extra 74,000 vehicles would enter the downtown core. If these extra 74,000 vehicles entered the downtown core, they would occupy over 28 lanes of traffic, which is equivalent to 388 city blocks. As of 2006, Calgary Transit has surpassed the personal automobile as the preferred choice for people entering the downtown during the morning peak rush hours.

What can you do to help?

Ride Calgary Transit! Using Calgary Transit instead of your private vehicle, CO2 reduction and other greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by over 289,000 tonnes in 2010.

Take The Bus

A single bus can carry as many people as 41 cars, with emissions per passenger-kilometre is close to one quarter the level of cars. The buses used by Calgary Transit are cleaner-burning, use premium quality low sulphur diesel fuel and have maintenance performed on them regularly.

Take The CTrain

A three-car CTrain can carry over 600 passengers, equal to 545 private vehicle trips. And the great thing about the C-Train it is in powered 100 per cent by renewable energy. This initiative made Calgary the first wind-powered public transit system in North America and reduced CO2 emissions by over 47,000 tonnes in 2010.

Ride Your Bike

Calgary Transit is working to help cyclist get around Calgary. Calgary Transit’s bike programs allow customers to ride to the C-Train station and lockup their bike before boarding transit, take their bike on the CTrain and our new program, "Bikes on Buses" lets customers put their bikes on the bus on front mounted racks.

Other Alternatives

Try carpooling, walking or cycling. Check out the City’s main webpage for more information:
“Sustainable Transportation”

So what are you waiting for? Ride Calgary Transit today. Your health and the environment will thank you for it.

So what are you waiting for? Ride Calgary Transit today. Your health and the environment will thank you for it.