CT Route History Disclaimer

Welcome to the Calgary Transit Route History section!

• Welcome to the Calgary Transit Route History section! This section is where I can share the complete history of all past and current routes that Calgary Transit has operated. Each history page has a introduction & discontinuation date (if applicable), routing history, service history (service span, frequency, vehicle type, etc) and the various route maps throughout the years.


• All transit history pages are written through the use of independent research by the website admin. Official transit pocket schedules, route maps and system maps are used throughout. On occasion, Transit Spotlight will design a custom route map in case an official route map is not avaliable, degraded beyond recognition or otherwise. These custom route maps are created based off routing directions, transit system maps, bus stop lists and information on the transit agency's website. Please do not copy these maps to another website without asking for permission. All official Calgary Transit documents (i.e. route maps) are presented for historical & archival purposes only.


• It's important to know that the transit history section is not perfect. While Transit Spotlight strives to keep these pages as accurate as possible, there may be slight inaccuracies. If found, inaccuracies are corrected as soon as possible. The website admin (Transit Spotlight) is not liable for any inaccuracies found in the transit history section. All information contained may not be up-to-date and is presented for historical & archival purposes only. If you notice that there are any inaccuracies, please email admin@transitspotlight.com and the website admin will investigate the inaccurate information and make corrections if necessary.


• Next, lets go over some terms that are used thoughout the course of this page.
  
  
  • Blue Arrow - A route system that operated from 1972 until the early-2000s that served limited stops along major corridors throughout the city. Route numbers 101-112 were designated as Blue Arrow routes, this lasted until the mid-1990s when the Blue Arrow bus network was beginning to be discontinued. Blue Arrow is often considered the predecessor to the BRT routes of the 2000s and the MAX routes of the late-2010s and 2020s.
  
  
  • BRT - A BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) route is a route that serves limited stops, connecting major transit hubs and key destinations in the city. These routes are identified with 300 series numbers and red bus shelters. As of 2018, the BRT routes are being phased out in favor of the MAX route network.
  
  
  • Express bus route - In Calgary, an express route is designed to connect two destinations with limited, or no stops in between. Express buses often connect residential areas to important hubs, such as downtown or industrial areas, and may have features like limited service hours and higher frequency during peak times.
  
  
  • Feeder bus route - A bus that is primarily designed to serve one or more residential communities and connects to a C-Train Station or a bus terminal.
  
  
  • Frequency - How often a bus runs, often in minutes.
  
  
  • MAX - A BRT route system launched in 2018 with multiple improvements over Calgary's existing BRT routes, including heated bus stops, enhanced signal priority, transit bypass lanes and transit-only roads (also known as transitways). Each route is assigned a color (i.e. MAX Teal, MAX Yellow, etc.)
  
  
  • Pennant Express - An express bus network that operated from 1957 until 1978 with the primary goal of providing express service from residential communities to downtown. Instead of a route number, each express was assigned one or two coloured pennants (flags) (i.e Green Pennant Express, Red & Blue Pennant Express)
  
  
  • School trip - Trips on regular, non-school Calgary Transit bus routes that are designed to accomodate school bell schedules. School trips can operate to reduce overload on the regularily scheduled trips, or operate to temporarily increase the frequency.
  
  
  • School route - A route that is designed to provide express service from residential areas to schools, or major transit hubs to schools. School routes are created when travel on existing Calgary Transit services is not realistically possible in a short time frame. School routes are not charters, and while they are designated for school use, regular fare paying passengers can ride. Regular Calgary Transit fares apply.
  
  
  • Service span - The time frame that a bus route is in service.


• Next, lets go over over time periods. Keep in mind all time is referred to with the 24 hour clock. Exact times can depend on the route.
  
  
  • Peak hours - A synonym for rush hour. Peak hours are on weekdays only, with morning (AM) peak hours running between 5:00-9:00 and afternoon (PM) peak hours running between 15:00-18:00.
  
  
  • Weekday mid-day - Middle of the day service in between AM and PM rush hour, typically running from 9:00-15:00.
  
  
  • Early evening - All service that runs from approximately 18:00-22:00.
  
  
  • Late evening - Any service after 22:00, typically running until midnight or 1:00 am.
  
  
  • Weekday/Weekend day - Any service that operates from the start of service (anywhere from 5:00-7:00) until evening service starts (typically 18:00 or 19:00)


• And finally a list of credits of all the individuals or organizations who have helped directly, or indirectly with this project. Thank you to everyone for your support!
  
  
  • Calgary Herald, Postmedia Network Corp. - via Proquest (www.proquest.com)
  
  
  • Calgary Public Library
  
  
  • Calgary Transit (www.calgarytransit.com) - via The Internet Archive (www.archive.org)
  
  
  • Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board (www.cptdb.ca)

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