Transit in Livingston and Carrington

Dear Livingston & Carrington Residents,

Thank you for raising concerns about bussing issues in the ward. I have heard concerns about capacity of On-Demand services and Route 124 Evanston being too full during peak times. I brought your concerns to the Transit department and wanted to share their reply with you.

I specifically asked for more capacity in the On-Demand services, as well as more Route 124 buses during peak times. While fleet and labour shortage issues are preventing some of the long-term solutions I’d like to see, I am happy to report that Transit have extended service on Route 124 to help with the immediate overload. We’ll continue advocating to improve service in this area.

Here is a full Q+A regarding residents’ concerns:

What’s the reason for service issues?

Transit service is still recovering from the pandemic. While transit’s overall ridership is now 92% of pre-pandemic levels, the issues with service in the Livingston area largely stems from labour and fleet shortages. Transit continues to hire new transit operators and are currently on track to meet their hiring targets for 2023, but we likely won’t see a significant improvement until those resolves.

Q. Route 124 is at capacity when kids are riding home from school. Why is this happening and when will this Route get more buses?  

A: Due to limited vehicle availability, all buses are already in service. By extending service on some buses, we were able to add 4 outbound trips from North Pointe @ 16:03, 16:19, 16:34, 16:46 effective October 16 to help with overloads. These trips are effective until December 15. On December 18, we are introducing a new schedule and we were able to move additional trips closer to the school bell times. There will be 3 Outbound Trips added from North Pointe @ 15:02, 15:51, and 16:36, and 5 Inbound trips to North Pointe added @ 7:20, 7:27, 8:33, 15:25 and 16:57.   

Q. Why does Livingston have on-demand service instead of local route service?  

A: Many new communities on the outskirts of Calgary do not have any transit service. Those that do would typically have only introductory AM and PM peak period service on weekdays. The communities of Livingston and Carrington were able to be part of an On Demand Transit Service pilot, which offers service between the hours of 5:00am to 9:00pm on weekdays, 7:00am to 8:00pm Saturdays and 9:00am to 5:00pm Sundays, a broader span of service than is possible with regular introductory service. Stops on Route 124 were opened in the community of Carrington in 2021. (We have made investments in the service since then as outlined above). We are evaluating the possibility of introducing local fixed-route service instead of On Demand service, but the introduction of that service is subject to Bus and Community Shuttle availability.

Q. When can Livingston expect regular transit service? 

A: We are evaluating the possibility of introducing local fixed-route service instead of On Demand service, but the introduction of that service is subject to Bus and Community Shuttle availability. In the meantime, we will look to ramp up On Demand service to address demand once we have completed our procurement process for an On Demand provider.

Q. Livingston’s on-demand is at capacity. Why is this happening and when can on demand be expanded? 

A: The On Demand Transit pilot project is concluding, and due to procurement policies it was necessary to issue a Request for Proposals for a permanent provider of the service (for provision of the service in other suburban communities in Calgary). That process is well underway, and once a provider is selected and under contract, we will look to ramp up service to address demand. We are also evaluating the possibility of introducing local fixed-route service.

Q. Is this a budget issue? 

A: Not entirely. Council has authorized growth funding to be used for service in areas like Livingston-Carrington for introductory transit service. Coming off the pandemic and reduced revenues/ridership, it takes time for our industry to bounce back. In 2023 our primary limitation was labour/hiring/training, and we are meeting our target of hiring 800 operators by the end of the year. Our primary limitation as we enter 2024 is the timeline for acquisition of buses. This is an industry-wide issue, and even the American Public Transit Association, of which Calgary Transit is a member, has established a Task Force on Bus Procurement to help ensure a viable and competitive bus manufacturing environment.

Q. The opening of North Trail Highschool and the fact that students in Livingston have to travel very far for school have put a lot of strain on the system. Does Transit work with school boards in advance of a school year to assess the routes students will use and adjust service accordingly? 

A: Yes, Calgary Transit meets regularly and works collaboratively with Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District. Each school board determines the designated schools that students go to, not The City. Generally speaking, Yellow Bus student transportation is only offered for Elementary and some Junior High students. For many Junior High and almost all High School students, the Board/District looks to public transit to serve students as part of overall transit demand. They do not insist on Calgary Transit school express routes. Decisions on service levels are made by Calgary Transit based on available space and resources. Each year the CBE Transportation Department reviews all yellow school bus routes to look for potential movement of students to Calgary Transit for service. Calgary Transit/CBE also partner on travel training (My Transit Ride). All that said, 2023 has been a challenging year for responding to demand due to labour and fleet availability despite the collaboration/partnership.