Calgary Transit Weighs $2M Transfer Window Extension

0:00It's April 23rd, Calgary news today starts now, AI powered and ready, I'm Cory with the story. Calgary Transit is eyeing a switch from 90 minutes to 120 minute transfer windows, but it could cost the city $2 million in. Lost revenue, according to a fresh admin analysis, city officials still back the change, and won an extra $2 million baked into the 2027-2030 budget to cover it. They pulled data from the Transit My Fair app, showing 98% of riders wrap up transfers in under 90 minutes anyway. That leaves about 500,000 trips that might benefit, though demand stays low fewer than 2%'s nag a second ticket within one, 120 minutes. Counselors like Andrew Yule and Harrison Clark call it a smart upgrade to boost rider satisfaction, and maybe spark more transit use for quick, errands. Counselors, including Andre Shabot, pushback hard, saying it's unnecessary for a tiny group when bigger fixes loom, and it just shrinks revenue without.

1:02Much upside, meanwhile, folks from Transit Advocacy Groups note Calgary sprawl means some trips stretch longer than ideal. As council ways this in budget talks, the real test will be, if those extended windows actually pull in more riders and offset the hit keeping an eye, on that could shape transit's future here.