Providing Calgarians with a safe, reliable and welcoming transit system that people want to use is a high priority for The City of Calgary. We know the critical role that transit plays in the lives of Calgarians – it’s how they get to work and school, to be with their friends and loved ones, and to get to their appointments and activities.

In June 2023, Council approved Administration’s recommendation that The City explore an enhanced staff model and associated infrastructure for inclusion in The City’s multi-disciplinary transit safety strategy. It was agreed that In Q3 2023, Transit Public Safety would present Council with an assessment of actions already taken towards a multi-disciplinary transit safety strategy and outline next steps. In advance of that report, Council approved the one-time transfer of funding from the Fiscal Stability and Operating Budget Savings Account Merged Reserve to the Public Transit service.

On October 2 the proposed Public Transit Safety Strategy will be presented to the Community Development Committee, and then to Council on October 17.

Addressing social disorder on public transit. The Public Transit Safety Strategy has specific actions to address harm, social disorder and crime on and around transit.

Taking a compassion-first approach to addressing social disorder on public transit.  The proposed Public Transit Safety Strategy prioritizes the well-being, safety and security of riders and employees. Calgarians experiencing vulnerabilities on and around the transit system will be connected to supportive resources. The strategy is committed to ensuring transit is used for its intended purpose of getting Calgarians where they need to be.

Implementing an enhanced staff model and associated infrastructure, as recommended by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA). The City of Calgary is the first municipality in Canada to implement several of the recommendations in the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s (CUTA) 2023 Prioritizing Safety on Public Transit, specifically adopting the multidisciplinary model.

Recognize that public safety reaches beyond transit.  The City is collaborating with numerous partners, social agencies, boards, committees and commissions to explore new approaches to prevention and intervention within the community – to connect people experiencing vulnerabilities with the resources they need. 

In June, Council approved the one-time transfer of funding from the Fiscal Stability and Operating Budget Savings Account Merged Reserve to the Public Transit service. With this funding, Transit Public Safety was able to immediately hire an additional 32 peace officers. Thirteen of these new recruits have previous experience and graduated in early September. The other 19 recruits will graduate in November. These new officers will join the 28 officers that were hired over the past 12 months, who are already patrolling the transit system.

Budget was also approved for immediate infrastructure improvements. On June 5, a team of nine Transit Peace officers relocated to the downtown core. This new work location allows them to respond quickly to calls for service in the area. In addition, Transit Public Safety is in the final stages of remodeling existing infrastructure to facilitate the future move of officers to district offices in NE and SW Calgary. 

We are exploring an integrated model of providing Public Safety including Transit Public Safety, the Calgary Police Service, Corporate Security and Community Safety officers working together in a focused manner to address trends and issues.

We are reviewing and redefining our Transit Safety Strategy, moving from a fare evasion focus to a people-first focus that addresses big city concerns.

We are evaluating the impact of increased resources and engaging in discussions about further investment.

• Definitions for Transit Safety Snapshots
• September 28, 2023