The City recently announced a $270 million boost for Calgary Transit infrastructure investment thanks to partnerships between the City and the provincial and federal governments.

Over the last ten years, public transportation in Calgary has changed dramatically through significant investments in LRT expansions, station upgrades and service enhancements. The 7 Avenue Refurbishment Project, which is currently in its final phase, is a model of the sort of improvements Calgarians can expect to see throughout the entire transportation system.

Work on this last stage of the newest LRT project began with the closing of the City Hall and 3 Street S.E. LRT stations. Soon, the construction of two new twin platform, or “gateway” stations will begin on the east and west ends of downtown.

“The 7 Avenue transit corridor has functioned for more than 30 years as the heart of Calgary’s transit system and has become the most heavily used pedestrian area in the downtown core,” said Mayor Bronconnier at the announcement. “When completed, the new and improved 7 Avenue corridor will provide Calgarians with an inviting and safe urban landscape that complements the improvements currently underway across the rest of the transportation system.”

In addition to improved sidewalk access, public art displays and enhanced lighting, the LRT stations along 7 Avenue are being expanded to accommodate future four-car trains and increased transit ridership.

Mayor Bronconnier also spoke about the importance of government partnerships in building a safe, reliable and efficient transportation system for the City of Calgary.

“The past ten years have seen significant growth in transit ridership and have required investments in the city’s public transportation system. These improvements would not have been possible without strong partnerships among the City of Calgary, the Province of Alberta, and the Government of Canada. The developments currently underway are the direct result of continued cooperation and shared vision.”

The 7 Avenue Refurbishment Project is just one of many initiatives planned in response to increased transit ridership and the need for improvements to the overall transit experience in Calgary. The City, Government of Canada and Government of Alberta are each setting aside up to $90 million to support a number of transit improvements identified as priorities for Calgary. These include station upgrades to accommodate future four-car trains, new park and ride lots for the southeast BRT, an upgraded CCTV security system, electronic fare collection, and a more user-friendly passenger information system.

In addition to these projects, The City continues to expand the LRT system with the northwest extension to Rocky Ridge/Tuscany, the northeast extension to Saddle Ridge, and the highly anticipated West LRT project.