Moving Calgarians for 100 Years!
Calgary Transit Centennial Books
Moving people safely, quickly and efficiently. That’s what Calgary Transit has been doing everyday since July 5, 1909, when passengers boarded the first streetcar. It has been responsible for many aspects of Calgary's growth and development.
Calgary in 1909 was an up-and-coming city with a population of 30,000 people. The Calgary Electric Street Car Railway began operating with 16 miles of track and 12 electric streetcars. Its success grew and by 1918, service had extended to outlying communities. It survived
through the Depression in the 1930s when many North American transit services failed.
Modern buses were introduced in 1932 and streetcars were slowly phased out of the system’s operations throughout the 1940s, replaced by both diesel and electric trolley buses. By the early 1970s, trolley buses had been completely phased out.
Spurred by an Alberta oil boom and The City of Calgary having been awarded the 1988 Olympic Winter games, construction of Calgary’s Light Rail Transit system began in 1978.
Ridership has increased consistently and currently, Calgary Transit’s annual ridership is over 95 million. It has a bus fleet of 850 regular buses and 103 community shuttles.
The CTrain – An Emissions-Free Mode of Transportation
On May 25, 1981, the CTrain first provided service on its 11-kilometre south leg from Anderson Station to 7th Avenue S.W. through the downtown core. Four years later, the northeast leg opened from 7th Avenue, east across the Bow River to Whitehorn Station. In 1987, the northwest leg was completed to the University of Calgary.
In 1990, the northwest leg was extended one kilometre to Brentwood Station. In 2001, a 3.6 kilometre extension south from Anderson Station to Fish Creek-Lacombe Station was opened to provide service to the growing population in the city’s south. Another three kilometres were constructed and opened for service to Dalhousie Station on the northwest line in 2003. One year later, a three kilometre extension on the south line provided service to Somerset-Bridlewood Station. The northeast leg was extended 2.7 kilometres and revenue service to McKnight-Westwinds Station began in December 2007.
Today, the popular CTrain carries over 280,000 passengers every weekday, more than any other light rail system in North America. It encompasses 44 kilometres of double track, 37 CTrain Stations, more than 13,000 park and ride stalls and a fleet of 155 light rail vehicles. Since September 2001, the CTrain’s electricity has been entirely generated by 12 wind turbines making it a 100 per cent emissions free light rail system, the only one of its kind in North America.
In addition, we will be recording our one billionth customer on the CTrain in our centennial year!
Providing Service to People with Disabilities
To meet the needs of Calgarians with disabilities, Access Calgary, a division of Calgary Transit, began operating on July 1, 2001 and currently has 19,000 Calgarians registered.
Winning International Awards
Calgary Transit has worked hard to reduce its impact on the environment. It is the first transit system in North America to have all aspects of its operations registered to the international ISO 14001 standard that specifies processes for controlling and improving an organization’s environmental performance.
A key environmental initiative is the Ride the Wind! Program developed in partnership with ENMAX and Vision Quest Windelectric Inc. in September 2001. This program uses wind-generated electricity to power the CTrains. Using wind-generated power reduces CO2 emissions by over 26,000 tonnes annually. Calgary Transit is the first and only light rail system to operate its system using wind. Since the launch of the program, Calgary Transit has received several prestigious awards including the global Special Merit Award for Contribution to the Environment.
Looking Forward
Over the next century we will continue to change and grow with Calgary, as we have for the past century.
- This spring the northwest leg will be extended to Crowfoot Station.
- Another major northeast CTrain extension will open in 2010 with 2.9 kilometres of new track to new stations in Martindale and Saddleridge.
- The northwest line will reach Rocky Ridge and Tuscany by 2011.
- The long-awaited west leg of the LRT is going ahead with shovels in the ground this year. The new line should be ready to carry its first passengers in 2012.
- Starting this year, there will be bus rapid transit service to new communities in the southeast.
- To increase capacity and meet demand, each CTrain station platform is being extended to accommodate four-car trains in future beginning with 7th Avenue.
- 38 new CTrain cars are in production and should begin arriving in 2010.
- Fifty forty-foot low floor buses and 15 sixty-foot articulated low-floor buses were purchased in 2008 and 30 forty-foot low floor buses and 20 sixty-foot articulated low-floor buses will be purchased in 2009.
- Service hours will be increased by 290,000 over the next three years.
Chronological History
1909 - Calgary Electric Street Car Railway began operating in a community of 30,000 with 16 miles of track and 12 electric streetcars.
1918 - limited stop service was provided for customers in outlying communities.
1930s - during the Depression, while many North American transit services folded, Calgarians continued to be served by a thriving street car system.
1932 - gasoline fuelled buses were introduced to serve areas of Calgary that did not have street car service.
1940s - the transit system was modernized as the street cars were phased out, with the last regular street car run made in 1950*. To replace street cars, a more responsive and flexible system of motor buses and electric trolley buses was initiated. *The last street car was restored and moved to Heritage Park where it reminds park visitors of our past.
1946 - the Calgary Municipal Railway was renamed the Calgary Transit System (CTS).
1950 - 1975 - Calgary rapidly grew to a population of almost half a million people and the bus and trolley systems were expanded to meet the demand.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, trolley buses were phased out and replaced with diesel buses that were more flexible in their routing, and more economical.
1971 - exact fare system introduced to speed up boarding and reduce operating costs.
1972 - CTS joined The City of Calgary Transportation Department and was renamed Calgary Transit.
Blue Arrow (limited stop) express service was introduced to serve the downtown rush hour.
1978 - construction of the first leg of the CTrain began.
1981 - The 10.9 km south line of the CTrain from Anderson Road to 7th Avenue S.W. was officially opened on May 25.
1985 - Service commenced on the northeast leg of the CTrain.
The northeast, 9.8 km line extends from the east end of 7th Avenue, across the Bow River and northeast to Whitehorn Station.
1986 - Community shuttle buses were introduced as pilot projects in Edgemont/Hawkwood, Martidale/Taradale and Shawnessy/Millrise.
1987 - The third leg of the CTrain system was completed in the northwest.
The northwest line extends from the west end of 7th Avenue, across the Bow River and north to the University of Calgary.
1990 - The northwest leg was extended to Brentwood Station, increasing the line to 6.6 km.
1991 and 1992 - the bus fleet was expanded and a new colour scheme was introduced on the buses - white with navy, magenta and turquoise stripes.
2001 - The south CTrain line was extended to Canyon Meadows (2.0 km) and to Fish Creek Lacombe (1.4 km).
2003 - The northwest CTrain line was extended to Dalhousie (3.0 km).
2004 - The southwest CTrain line was extended to Shawnessy and Somerset/Bridlewood (3.0 km).
2007 - The northeast CTrain line was extended to McKnight-Westwinds (2.9 km).
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