Calgary Transit student buses full, service constrained by resources
A frustrated Calgary mom says there just isn’t any room on her son’s designated express route as many other students continue to rely on transit to get to class.
Maureen Adams’ son rides a Calgary Transit express route from Tuscany to Bowness High School.
For years, it’s been the only designated route near her home that goes to the school, and she says there has never been sufficient space for the number of riders.
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“Many students are coming back up into Tuscany, and are all trying to get on all at the exact same time at the school because they’re all getting out of school at the same time,” Adams told CityNews.
According to Adams, the city isn’t prioritizing high-traffic areas — instead wasting resources in areas with “low ridership.”
“So I see three full-size city transit buses drive past my house for St. Francis that are empty, and yet, my son and every other student that is getting on it — his bus stop — literally have to shove themselves onto the bus,” she explained.
“By the time the bus gets there, it’s already been full like four stops back.”
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Adams says she has contacted Calgary Transit and has called Bowness High School to hold a school council meeting, but “the school doesn’t have any say in it.”
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In a statement to CityNews, Amanda Bailey, a spokesperson with Calgary Transit, says they “are aware of the overloads in peak periods,” and says similar issues exist at other schools.
“We know these services are in high demand, and we are doing what we can to deliver both regular and school express service, ensuring every bus possible is on the road,” her statement reads.
She says Calgary Transit is constrained by the resources it has available and will continue to monitor and make adjustments where it can.
Adams is calling on the city to do better, saying the problem is getting worse and could result in students being left in the cold this winter.
