North Central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvements

Project update - 2025

Phase II of construction is now underway. Work will continue beginning with Harvest Hills Blvd at Country Hills Blvd and 96 Avenue N. During this phase of the project, the City’s Contractor will be installing temporary bus pads to prepare for construction of new BRT stations. The existing bus stops at Country Hills Blvd and 96 Ave will be closed and Transit users will be moved to the temporary bus pads. Once the bus pads are constructed, removals of the existing stations will begin, to prepare for new BRT station construction that will follow immediately after.
Throughout the 2025 construction season, work will take place at the Country Hills Boulevard and 96 Ave Stations, the Beddington Trail bus trap, and a milling and overlay program will be completed along Centre Street from Beddington Trail south to 54 Avenue N.W. We are also well underway with the construction of a new BRT station downtown on 1 ST SW that is expected to be completed in late April.
Full details on future project areas and construction timelines will be posted on this page as plans are finalized.

View the Current projects section below for details.

Current projects

North Central BRT short-term improvements

Beddington Blvd, 78 Ave., 64 Ave., 56 Ave., 40 Ave. and 28 Ave. N.: Stations are complete and fully operational.
Country Hills Blvd.: Median curb and gutter removals began in the Fall of 2024. The bulk of the station work at Country Hills Blvd and 96 Ave is targeted for Spring/Summer of 2025
96 Ave. N.: New signal installations have been completed at Country Hills Blvd. Station. Work will begin at this location in Spring 2025.
1St S.W. at Brookfield Place: Construction began on a new Calgary Transit BRT station at this location in September 2024. To construct the new station sidewalk tiles will need to be removed to pour a structural slab and install an electrical feed. The existing bus stops on 1 St S.W. between 6 Ave and 7 Ave S.W. will be relocated and a single lane closure on 1 St. S.W. will be in place. The sidewalk will remain open when possible but will be required to be temporarily closed at various times during construction. Station will be completed in Spring 2025.
Milling and Overlay on Centre Street: This work is scheduled to begin in Spring 2025. The bulk of the station work at Country Hills Blvd. and 96 Ave. is targeted for Spring/Summer of 2025.

Project area

Project background

In 2020 to 2021, The City conducted the North Central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) functional planning study. This study resulted in recommendations for short-, medium-, and long-term improvements. The proposed North Central BRT improvements will link the investments that The City is making and will provide improved connections to north central communities and support future transit initiatives along the corridor, which runs from Downtown along Centre Street up to Harvest Hills Boulevard N.E., and continues through to 160 Avenue N.E.

These improvements will:

provide shorter transit travel times
increase reliability
enhance comfort and convenience
improve accessibility
improve walking and wheeling amenities

Centre Street South Public Realm improvements

In coordination with the North Central BRT study and Tomorrow’s Chinatown, we are exploring public realm improvements for Centre Street South from the Riverfront Avenue to 4 Avenue South.

The first phase of this project included working with the community to identify areas of concern and opportunity for potential public realm improvements and pedestrian safety along Centre Street South. The analysis is focused on the North Central BRT Study to ensure that any infrastructure or stations that are proposed are integrated to promote the public realm and do not prevent any potential future improvements.

In spring 2021, two rounds of virtual public engagement were held to inform phase 1 of the project. Based on feedback received during engagement, the project team has developed preliminary design concepts and recommendations for consideration in future stages of the project. view the final report.

Phase 2 of the project will develop the concepts from phase 1 and complete a comprehensive streetscape master plan. Currently, there is no anticipated timeline for phase 2 of this project. This work will be completed as funding and resourcing for improvements become available.

Engagement and Public Information Sessions

The project team hosted four public information sessions in April 2023 and April 2024 to share details on the construction plans and timelines.

Resources from these sessions are available below:

Presentation video (virtual session)

Engagement sessions were also held from October 2020 – March 2021. During these sessions, we heard a desire for more reliable bus service, interest in reducing congestion for transit vehicles and cars, and the need to balance providing on-street parking and accommodating traffic during peak travel hours. This feedback along with technical analysis has been used to further develop the opportunities identified for the North Central BRT into short-, medium- and long-term improvements.

View the Phase 2: North Central Mobility & BRT Studies What We Heard Report

Completed projects

North Pointe Park and Ride Lot Improvements

As part of the first North Central BRT improvements project, The City completed enhancements to the North Pointe Park and Ride lot in Country Hills Village, including:

Addition of a bus-only lane
Installation of sidewalks along both sides of the bus-only lane

The existing entrance on the east side of the lot, along Country Village Link N.E., was converted for Transit use only. A new public entrance has been installed along the east side of the lot, slightly north of the Transit-only access.

These improvements will help to enhance safety and accessibility for transit users within the Park and Ride Lot today, while also preparing for future growth and infrastructure requirements within the North Central BRT network.

North Pointe Park and Ride Improvements Sketch

Project timeline

Short-term improvement projects

Engineering design: Fall 2022 – Winter 2023
Tender and award construction contract: Winter 2023
Begin construction: Spring 2024
Construction substantially complete: Summer 2025

Please note: Construction activities are dependent on several factors. Timelines could change due to inclement weather, underground conditions and/or other unexpected circumstances. Schedule updates will be provided regularly.

Stay connected

Questions?

Email the project team at northcentralBRT@calgary.ca.

Budget

$50 million (includes all short and medium-term projects)

Funding has been provided through the Green Line LRT project.