North Pointe Park and Ride Lot project brings improvements for transit users in north Calgary

Transit customers in north Calgary will be riding easier thanks to recently completed improvements to the North Pointe Park and Ride Lot in Country Hills Village.

As the first of the recommended short-term North Central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvement projects, funded by the Green Line LRT Project, construction of upgrades to the North Pointe lot began in 2021, offering safety and accessibility enhancements such as a new transit-only lane and lot entrance, pedestrian sidewalks, new lighting and three additional bus shelters. The cut-through transit lane will also help to streamline bus service in the lot, reducing overall trip times and improving efficiency.

“This project is a great first step towards improving transit service now and in the future for communities in north Calgary – including those north of Stoney Trail,” says Project Manager, Brian Tang. “With construction now complete, we will begin to plan for future projects and look forward to implementing more improvements along the North Central BRT route over the coming years.”

As part of this $2.5 million project, four off-street bus stops have been added to accommodate local routes as the north Calgary community continues to grow. The terminal will facilitate transfers from local routes to the 301 BRT, Route 8 and Route 100 for cross-town trips, offering better connections for transit users and expanded service capacity.

Approved by the Green Line Committee in May 2021, the North Central Bus Rapid Transit Study recommendations include short, medium and long-term projects to improve transit in north central Calgary, from Centre Street to 160 Avenue N., while preparing for the future transition to the Green Line LRT. The short-term projects – those recommended within the next five years – include improvements to bus-only lanes, intersections and bus priority, as well as pedestrian and wheeling accessibility at various locations along the BRT line.

“Green Line has committed $50 million to improve Bus Rapid Transit in north central Calgary to augment transit connectivity between downtown and the north central communities in the short-, medium-, and long-term,” says Darshpreet Bhatti, CEO, Green Line. “These improvements will also support the future transition to LRT along the corridor as funding is committed and the full 46 km vision for the Green Line LRT is realized.”

The detailed design process for additional short-term projects along the North Central BRT route, including intersection improvements and MAX-style stations, is expected to begin in 2022, with construction moving forward as funding becomes available.

“It’s great to see that the newly improved North Pointe Park & Ride is now open,” says Ward 3 Councillor Jasmine Mian. “Residents came out to tell me they are happy to see the upgrades to transit safety and accessibility. I'm supportive of the continued work to improve transit and mobility in north central Calgary - it’s much needed.”

For more information, visit calgary.ca/NorthCentralBRT.