Transportation Infrastructure and Calgary Transit are working together on the predesign study for the Southeast Transitway, or SETWAY.
Project Update
The predesign study reviewed:
- the need for LRT in Southeast Calgary
- cost estimates
- possible staging options
- the ability of The City to develop a convertible busway
- ridership estimates
- passenger comfort
- improved transit travel speed and reliability.
A Council report was presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation & Transit on December 12, 2012 and was approved by City Council on January 14, 2013. The report recommendations were:
- approve the recommended Ultimate Service Option plan of a low-floor LRT
- approve the recommended Interim Service Option of a staged introduction of a combination of dedicated busway and low-floor LRT
- direct Administration to continue engagement with key stakeholders and the public to finalize station locations and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities during the predesign process. This would occur once the project receives approval for Green Trip funding.
In addition, Council approved $12 million to complete the pre-engineering study for SETWAY.
Project background
Between 1999 and 2006, Calgary Transit completed functional planning studies for the future Southeast Light Rail Transit (LRT), one of two new LRT lines planned for Calgary. These studies examined existing transit service, identified the need for LRT based on future demand, and established the future LRT horizontal and vertical alignment, station locations, high-level land requirements and costs.
To construct the Southeast LRT today between downtown and the South Health Campus in Seton would cost over $2 billion. In the absence of sufficient funding for even a short segment of LRT, The City is studying options for staging improvements in the form of bus rapid transit (BRT) on exclusive transitways.
The City has initiated a predesign study for the Southeast Transitway, or SETWAY, with the goal of making significant improvements to public transit service in Southeast Calgary in the short term while still enabling the introduction of LRT in the longer term.
Project scope
A predesign study is typically conducted after functional plans have been completed and before detail design is initiated. The high-level plans and property requirements are refined to a greater level of detail in the predesign. The City is examining what infrastructure is required to improve transit service in the short term while providing lasting value in the long term.
The predesign process will focus on the technology, infrastructure, right of way, and land requirements to get the SETWAY ready for detailed design and construction.
Public Engagement
Three public information sessions were held in January 2012 where The City presented findings on the early phases of the predesign before making a recommendation on infrastructure staging to City Council. See the 
complete summary of the results for an information survey completed by more than 120 individuals.
Additional public engagement, including comprehensive transit-oriented development planning, will be held in the future as the predesign advances. Please visit this webpage regularly for future updates.
Project feedback
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