‘All transit stops should be accessible’: Calgary man raises concerns with snow blocking access to bus stops

Snow buildup at bus stops can create an unusable and unsafe environment for wheelchair users. One Calgary man says because he lives in a non-priority area, his bus stop doesn’t get cleared as often as it needs to.

“Being in Calgary, with our climate, we could get a little bit of snow every day and then it just keeps building up and next thing you know I’m waiting until spring,” said Kevin Speedie.

Taking the bus during the winter is not fun, but for Speedie who relies on his mobility scooter, it sometimes feels impossible.

A few times already this winter, delayed snow removal, and cold temperatures has left his bus stop looking like a snow and ice bank.

“The bus stops are not plowed, then the bus cannot deploy the ramp for me to get on a bus, and sometimes when I am on the bus the driver tries to look for a nice clean area to let me off which is way down the street.”

At one of the intersections Speedie is dropped off at, he feels that it’s unsafe for both himself and the people on the bus.

“All of this could be avoided if the city could simply clean the bus stops,” he said.

When he’s unable to use the bus, it’s too late to contact Calgary Accessible Transit. So, he resorts to calling an accessible taxi.

“I’m looking at about $20 to $30 one way depending on where I have to go.”

He has voiced his concerns but doesn’t feel heard.

He was told to call 311, who then tell him to contact Calgary Transit and vice versa. He believes he’s not being heard because he doesn’t live in a high-priority area.

Due to the recent warm weather, the snow pile at his bus stop has gone down, but in Calgary, it’s inevitable the snow will make a return.

The problem for someone like Speedie who lives in a non-priority zone means if it snows for three days in a row, removal efforts will begin on the last day.

“But as far as I’m concerned, all transit stops should be accessible.”

In a statement to CityNews, Calgary Transit says:

“The City of Calgary clears snow based on a Council-approved seven-day snow clearing plan. With this plan we focus on highest volume roadways first and work down the list in a priority order. In terms of bus pads, The City clears certain priority bus pads starting on Day 3 of the seven day plan. These priority locations are set by Calgary Transit Access.”

CityNews reached out to Calgary Transit regarding Kevin’s bus stop and they said they will be sending a crew to investigate.