Calgary Transit could soon explore distance-based fares as part of new strategy
Posted May 7, 2026 7:45 pm.
Last Updated May 7, 2026 11:44 pm.
Distance or even time-based transit fares, that is just one of the options the city of Calgary is closer to exploring, after a council committee Thursday endorsed a list of principles to help administration create an updated fare strategy.
It’s an idea that is not sitting well with some on council, especially those, like Ward 12 Coun. Mike Jamieson, whose area is further away from the city’s core.
“There’s this idea that downtown get’s everything for free and if you live in the suburbs, you get punished. I’d be fundamentally against that, I can guarantee that Ward 12 is not going to support that,” Jamieson said.
But not everyone is opposed to the idea, with Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot arguing fares based on distance travelled is a more equitable way of charging riders.
“If I have to drive my car and have to go 1,000 miles versus having to drive 100 miles than obviously, I’m going to pay more to go 1,000 miles,” said Chabot. “It’s based on how much you’re using the service. Why should it be fair for somebody to subsidize somebody who lives further away when they only have to travel two blocks.”
Calgary Transit’s proposed fare principles examine what riders get for a fare, what should a fare cost, and how do riders pay for their fares.
In addition to distance-based fares, the principles also look at exploring fares based on time of day and adding special surcharges for enhanced or premium service.
Fares being based on distance travelled already exists in some parts of the country. Ontario’s GO Transit system which serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area already does this, while the transit agency overseeing Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain has a zone-based system, with the agency also charging a $5 fee for rail service that starts from the airport, an example of the special surcharge Calgary could soon be looking at.
While the principles allow administration to study bringing these ideas to Calgary, changes to fare structure would ultimately require council approval. Calgary Transit’s director Sharon Fleming says they will look to residents to provide their feedback to aid in their research.
“We are going to be looking at a number of different options for how to charge for fares in Calgary. Should it be based on distance, we’ll be engaging with Calgarians to determine the appetite is for a variety of different fare structures,” Fleming said.
Alex Williams with advocacy group Calgary Transit Riders says while he is not partial to a particular option, as it stands right now, there isn’t a strong case to make Calgary’s transit fare system based on distance travelled.
“If we had a great transit system that got people to Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, a lot easier than it currently does I think it would make sense to have a little bit of a zone-based system,” said Williams.
The principles will go to a broader council vote after the infrastructure and planning committee endorsed it. If it passes at council, administration will return in the beginning of the year in 2027 with their findings.
