Accessibility and Equity in Transportation

❖ 1. How Calgary’s Growth Shaped Its Transit Inequity

Fueled by the oil and gas boom, Calgary expanded rapidly:

• Subdivisions were built faster than transit lines
• Zoning prioritized single-family homes and wide roadways over density or walkability
• Public transportation became an afterthought—not a foundational service

When oil prices fell, the city was left with:

• Stretched infrastructure budgets
• Long commutes with low transit coverage in outer communities
• A population dispersed across car-dependent neighborhoods

And for those without cars?

• Limited job access
• Long commutes to school or services
• Isolation, especially for seniors, youth, and low-income families

❖ 2. Who Gets Left Behind

Transportation inequity hits hardest for:

• Low-income residents: who often live where housing is affordable—but transit is weak
• Seniors and people with disabilities: for whom inaccessible stops or unreliable paratransit are daily barriers
• Youth: especially those trying to access education, work, or community
• Newcomers and racialized communities: often placed in outer suburbs with fewer mobility options
• Single-parent families: juggling multiple drop-offs and pickups without reliable service

In short: if you don’t have a car, you’re often stuck.
And that’s not just inconvenient—it’s structurally unjust.

❖ 3. What Transportation Equity Looks Like

✅ Frequent, Reliable Transit

• Shorter wait times and more crosstown routes
• Bus rapid transit (BRT) expansion that doesn’t just follow wealth
• Prioritize access, not just ridership numbers

✅ Fare Equity and Access

• Sliding-scale fare programs
• Free transit for youth, low-income residents, and seniors
• Fare capping systems that reward regular use, not penalize it

✅ Infrastructure for All

• Wheelchair-accessible vehicles and stations
• Sidewalks, bike lanes, and snow-cleared routes to every transit point
• Real-time info and multilingual signage

✅ 15-Minute Neighborhoods

• Mixed-use zoning that reduces the need for long commutes
• Support for local services, jobs, and community hubs within walkable distances

❖ 4. What Calgary—and Cities Like It—Need to Do

• Re-evaluate land-use policy: dense, transit-ready communities must be the future
• Redirect funding from highway expansion to public transit, active transportation, and mobility justice
• Involve equity-deserving communities in transportation planning—from the beginning
• Commit to climate and accessibility goals through transportation design
• Frame mobility as a human right, not a luxury or market commodity

It’s not about cars vs. buses.
It’s about choice, safety, and inclusion.

❖ Final Thought

The infrastructure legacy of boomtown Calgary can’t be undone overnight.
But it can be challenged, redesigned, and reimagined—not for the past it was built for, but for the future it now serves.

Let’s talk.
Let’s connect.
Let’s build a transportation system that moves everyone forward—not just those who can afford to drive.