CASE STUDY | December 2021
Calgary Transit On Demand
PARTNER:
City of Calgary
SERVICE AREA:
Calgary’s North West End
LAUNCH:
September 2019
GOAL:
First / Last KM solution, connecting people to transit hubs and amenities.
Project Overview
Calgary Transit, the way Calgarians and visitors get around the city. The current transit system is well utilized, getting most of its users where they need to go. However, the city’s newer developments are widespread and are not yet integrated with the city’s current transit infrastructure. Calgary Transit On Demand is an innovative, new way to provide transit service to communities that currently don’t have traditional bus service.
Working closely with City of Calgary transit planners, SOUTHLAND Transportation, a division of the Pacific Western Group of Companies, set out to design and implement a service that will improve mobility and complement existing transit.
The Solution
This service provides vital connectivity to communities that do not have conventional transit services. It allows customers to book travel as needed, pick up and drop off at any existing stops in the community and other major locations e.g. Westhills, 69 Street Station, grocery stores, large commercial areas, North Pointe transit hub and amenities.
Rides cost the same as any Calgary Transit fare — $3.40 per adult and $2.35 for youth six to 17 — with transfers given to riders switching to another bus. Different service times are offered between the north and the south programs.
Results
%
Shared Rides
%
On Time Performance
%
Average Customer Rating
Since its launch in 2019, the service has exceeded expectations on all levels. During its first seven months, a city report on the project showed that the pilot surpassed its four main goals — for ridership, customer satisfaction, app downloads, and cost-per-ride.
Because of the initial successes of the project, there are expansion opportunities into other communities or replacing underutilized conventional transit routes within the city.
RIDERSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS
Passengers from Aspen Woods, Christie Park, Strathcona Park, Signal Hill, Springbank Hill, and Discovery Ridge (Southwest), as well as Carrington and Livingston (Northwest)
FLEET
2 Ford Transit Passenger Shuttles
“ An overwhelming majority of people appear to have enjoyed their experience using the service – We were hoping for about an 85 percent customer rating and we hit 97.2 percent.”
– Jyoti Gondek
Calgary, Ward 3 Councilor