Calgary Councillor wants turnstiles at CTrain stations, critics question effectiveness

Issues surrounding safety at Calgary CTrain stations continue to be a concern, and one city councillor wants to add a new barrier to ideally help improve the situation and cut down on violence and rates of social disorder.

During a council meeting this week, Ward 13 Councillor Dan McLean asked the administration about adding turnstiles to some stations, also as a way to cut down on fare evasion. He said during a recent trip on the train, he spotted several issues that could maybe be solved by adding the infrastructure.

Took the train to Chinook yesterday afternoon when this fellow and his buddy started causing trouble before transit officers intervened and he passed out. I was right there and thankful the officers were there and simply would like to see more of them for safeties sake. pic.twitter.com/NLeHxU41ga

— Dan McLean (@DanWMcLean) May 10, 2022

The city will now do a feasibility study to examine the costs of implementing turnstiles, which could eventually lead to a pilot program at several stations.

“This is all we’re hearing about, people want something done now,” McLean told CityNews. “Our job is to listen and respond to what residents want, and they want more safety.”

Calgary Transit said in a statement that it is too early to tell how much it would cost to establish a closed system for CTrain stations, but early estimates have shown it could come at a hefty price tag of about $400 million.

McLean is doubtful it would be that much.

“We’re not talking platinum-coated turnstiles here,” he said. “I do not think it’s going to cost $400 million, why don’t we try a few million dollars on a pilot project and see how it goes from there? We have to try something.”

He added they also have to be mindful of access to ensure it remains easy for people with disabilities to get on and off the platforms as well.

But there’s some doubt about how effective this system could really be.

Some of that doubt comes from McLean’s colleagues in the council chamber, as some see it as a way to further punish vulnerable people rather than address issues with violence after several attacks and stabbings at stations this year.

“Transit safety shouldn’t be made a left or right issue,” Ward 11 Councillor Kourtney Penner said in a tweet.

1/ Transit safety shouldn’t be made a left or right issue.

We need to ask, who are we making transit safe for? Are we addressing safety for all users?

A social concern, years in the making, can’t be solved with simplistic solutions.#yyctransit #yyccc

— Kourtney Penner (@kourtpenner) May 9, 2022

Ward 8 Councillor Courtney Walcott also tweeted that we are dealing with a much wider problem, and addressing the issues at train stations with something like turnstiles only deals with a symptom of that bigger issue.

“Safety matters and it includes everyone. Witnessing a public health crisis play out in public is understandably distressing. Experiencing a public health crisis in public is also distressing,” he said.

Safety matters and it includes everyone. Witnessing a public health crisis play out in public is understandably distressing. *Experiencing* a public health crisis in public is also distressing. #yyc https://t.co/82muLGd7OO

— Courtney Walcott (@CWalcottYYC) May 12, 2022

Advocates take a similar position that there are more effective, and cheaper, options.

“While we lack basic services and points of intake for people experiencing homelessness, they are indeed going to train stations instead. The evidence is there the system needs a redesign and a bit more funding,” said Chaz Smith, President, and CEO of Be The Change YYC.

Smith said far less money could be spent on trying to establish affordable housing and addiction supports for people because barring access to some train stations will just push the same issues barely out of sight to areas surrounding the stations.

Furthermore, turnstiles are not totally foolproof and that can be seen in other cities where they have been implemented as a way to cut down on fare evasion.

“I was actually just in Vancouver this past weekend, and I went through those turnstiles. I can tell you, they are expensive gates and they will not keep people out that ultimately want in,” Smith said.

As it stands now, Calgary Transit operates on an honour system, where passengers are expected to pay the $3.60 fare to ride a train. The cost of evading a fare and getting caught is disproportionately higher, with the risk of a $150 fine.

Read More: 

• Three people charged in SAIT CTrain stabbing

• Calgary Transit won’t hit full service again until 2023

• Calgary police looking to identify assailants in SAIT CTrain stabbing

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The vast majority of people do pay for a ticket — over 90 per cent at least — but still, the cost of fare evasion does come at the tune of several million dollars of lost revenue.

Calgary Transit is also trying to improve revenue and ridership after the pandemic, and McLean is hopeful this can be an indirect effect on turnstiles by making people feel safer and take the train more often.

On the other end, Smith thinks we can trust other new programs that have come into place such as partnering peace officers with outreach groups so that vulnerable people can be connected to support.

“If we continue to build that up, that will provide a more equitable solution and ultimately solve some of these safety concerns that we are seeing.”