Calgary city council defers free fare zone decision, agrees on review instead

Calgary’s free fare zone will remain for now as city council agreed Tuesday that officials will review it before deciding in the new year.

A vote of 9-6 was in favour of deferring the matter, with many council members citing safety concerns and the need for more community engagement.

“As somebody who really wants to keep the free fare zone, having the free fare zone live to fight another day is a form of a win,” said Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.

“Of course, council punting this to the beginning of next year is not the best situation.”

Stretching from Downtown West–Kerby to City Hall–Bow Valley College stations, the city’s free fare zone was created in 1981 to boost accessibility and mobility in the city’s core. But after 45 years, the administration says Calgary has evolved, and the program may no longer meet the needs of a growing city.

A city report points to safety as the primary driver behind the recommendation, adding that requiring fares would give peace officers clearer authority to address disorder on trains and platforms. It also notes that eliminating the zone could generate about $5 million annually for Calgary Transit.

While the Infrastructure and Planning Committee voted 7-4 to end the zone along 7 Avenue beginning Aug. 1, also citing safety as the main concern, there was some pushback from several councillors in the days leading up to Tuesday, including Farkas and Calgarians voicing their displeasure with its potential removal.

Ward 10 councillor Andre Chabot, who voted to end the zone at the committee, says it’s not a bad option to review the strategy and defer to the new year, which also means time spent searching for a new sponsor after TD Bank pulled out.

“I think there is a way we can have a win-win for everyone by looking at the complete fare strategy on a go-forward basis,” he said. “Who knows, it may just come down to a $1 trip to go across downtown.”

Supporting the free zone, Farkas says many benefit from the program, which drives business and visitors to the core.

“In my conversations with not just residents but business owners, there’s a strong business case to keep the free fare zone,” he said.

Council approves reviewing adding downtown police station

City council agreed on a notice of motion calling for a review to bring back a downtown police station, which could address safety concerns in the core.

It directs city staff to study the idea in a more fullsome way, including where it could go and what it would cost.

Many councillors and mayoral candidates advocated for the return of a downtown police station, which has been missing since the last one in Victoria Park closed in November 2017.

Currently, there is a community counter at 115 6 Avenue SW, but it’s not open 24/7, has no patrol deployment, and there is no arrest processing function.

In a statement to 660 NewsRadio, the Calgary Police Commission says while they are open to conversations, it is up to them to decide how money is spent.

“Any proposal for a new police facility, including a downtown station, would be an additional operational and financial cost beyond what our commission and the CPS have already determined to be the most efficient and effective ways to address Calgarians’ public safety priorities,” it said.