Calgary Transit safety push misses the mark: advocates

As Calgary Transit continues to try and recover from low ridership caused in part by the pandemic, it’s making another push for increased safety on buses and trains.

Riders have said time and time again they are concerned about their safety on the bus and on the CTrain in the city, however not everyone agrees that enforcement is the best way to deal with social disorder on public transportation.

Calgary Transit is upping the amount of peace officers on patrol from 113 to 141, hiring 31 transit security guards, and bringing on more inspectors, sergeants, and dispatch agents.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek acknowledges that social disorder on transit is a problem.

“It is important that we take every measure that we possibly can to ensure that transit riders are feeling comfortable and safe on transit,” Gondek said. “At the same time, we remain committed to working with our partners in social service agencies to ensure that folks that are in distress are receiving the help that they need.”

Lee Stevens, a policy and research specialist with Vibrant Communities Calgary, says the new safety measures from Calgary Transit aren’t the answer.

“I think it’s a reaction to the problem, not a solution,” Stevens said. “So, it’s not going to get at the root causes of safety concerns on the CTrain for instance.”

‘Band-aid solution’

Stevens says increasing enforcement is nothing more than a “band-aid solution” similar to how food banks or food hampers fail to address the root causes of food insecurity.

Stevens believes the safety issue on public transportation is directly linked to other issues, such as homelessness and drug addiction.

While unable to know for sure, she speculates that many in Calgary’s homeless population frequent Calgary Transit stops because they may be seen.

“So they go to a public spot where they’re likely to be noticed if they do overdose, because there is just limited options for them.”

She adds there are several barriers to accessing addictions services in Calgary, and the city is dealing with an affordable housing crisis.

“I want to see us expanding our safe consumption site — we only have one in Calgary — and it’s being relocated, despite proven success that it’s working, and it’s helping people, and it’s saving lives, and it’s saving us money,” Stevens said.

Stevens says it’s encouraging to see Calgary Transit taking action despite its limited ability to address issues like affordable housing and addiction.

“I think they’re doing what they can that’s within their scope and that’s positive, but that’s only getting at a fraction of the issue,” Stevens said. “I think the public — Calgarians — I think it’s important to let them know that this is not going to solve the problem… We can’t wipe our hands and say ‘problem solved.’ We have a long way to go before we start to see this problem go away.”

READ MORE: Calgary transit partners with police services to improve ridership safety

Chaz Smith, the CEO and co-founder of BeTheChangeYYC, agrees that more needs to be done to address homelessness in the city.

BeTheChangeYYC works with several organizations such as the Calgary Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership (DOAP) team and the City of Calgary to work on addressing social issues.

Smith says the pandemic has exacerbated addiction, mental health, and poverty issues in Calgary.

“Increasing security, I think, is an attempt at protecting the public, but also recognizing people experiencing homelessness are in vulnerable positions and their safety is also important,” Smith said.

Smith believes the root cause of social disorder on public transportation is the lack of mental health and addiction services in Calgary.

“When people have to wait days on end and camp outside of detox (centres) in order to access that service, I think we have a larger problem here,” Smith said. “While security might be an attempt at doing what we can in the moment, it’s not really addressing the systematic problems which are ultimately mental health and addiction supports.”