Our current transit system does a relatively good job getting commuters downtown at peak hours. However, we need to focus on making transit a more convenient and speedy way to get to everyday places.Using a bicycle wheel as a metaphor for simplicity, consider the wheel as the city. The wheel consists of a central hub, the spokes, and finally the edge. Calgary has four major spokes: Saddletown, Crowfoot, 69th Street, and Somerset. These spokes primarily connect outlying suburbs with downtown. The strength of the wheel is determined by the number of spokes and how they are arranged.
Integrating more spokes into the existing network means that riders (especially those with low incomes or mobility challenged) will be able to easily access different parts of the City. The Southeast LRT project is one spoke in a multi-spoke expansion planned to strengthen Calgary (other spokes include North Central LRT, 17 Avenue Southeast Transitway, and Southwest Transitway). The future LRT network should ultimately be combined with crosstown BRTs (South and North Crosstown BRTs) connecting the spokes and enhancing transit service. This will give Calgarians the ability to travel to several points in the City without having to go directly to the core.
Current Network (Few Spokes; Large Gaps; Weak)
Network with SE LRT
Comprehensive Network With More Spokes and BRTs (Strong Wheel/Network)
