One of the first things some people encounter when they get off the plane in Calgary is the bus.
Veteran traveller Young Tak Ko from Korea was waiting for a Calgary Transit bus on Tuesday morning at the Calgary International Airport. He said he would rather take a train downtown, especially in the winter.
“The roads are very bad and slippery so I think the bus takes a longer time but the train might be different,” Ko said.
At least one city councillor thinks it’s time for Calgary to join the big leagues and build a train.
READ MORE: Spur line to Calgary airport a less costly option: councillor
“Calgary is an international city and many cities throughout North America have direct connections to the airport,” Ward 5 councillor George Chahal said.
The city is now doing a study looking at a potential transit link to the airport. It could connect from the future Green Line expansion at Harvest Hills Boulevard or from the Blue Line in Saddleridge at the future 88 Avenue station.
READ MORE: Still too early to say where Calgary’s Green Line LRT should go next: councillor
According to Chahal, a Blue Line LRT extension is the most efficient option because it’s closer.
He says it’s not just about moving travellers around. He points to the large number of people who work at the airport.
But city staff are calling the demand for such a service “moderate.”
Senior transportation engineer Alex Saba said there are up to 900 customers per day serviced by two bus routes to the airport but demand could increase.
“Right now there isn’t an over-demand but with the Calgary International Airport expanding, there’s potentially that ridership.”
Transit users in northeast Calgary are calling for an airport LRT because it would reduce the pressure on other bus routes.
“The majority are in favour of the LRT coming up but that’s because the buses are full. The 301 is jammed,” Coventry Hills resident Moraig McCabe said.
Other airport commuters Global News spokes to at the airport said the Calgary Transit bus service works just fine.
“It’s good. There’s no problem with it. I like it because it takes me right in front of the door at the airport,” Mryna See said.
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Chahal said a Calgary Olympic bid could push the project forward.
“The Olympics is just another opportunity to see if we can have this done.
“But I believe this will, on its own, show the merits of connecting to our airport and the millions of passengers that use our airport and want to connect into the city,” Chahal said.
READ MORE: Cost of Calgary’s Airport Trail expansion cut nearly in half: committee
There’s no funding or cost estimate for the construction of the connection.
The city is hosting an open house on the Airport Transit Study at the Genesis Centre on July 4.
Adding to the congestion in the area are the 15,000 vehicles per weekday that used the $295-million airport tunnel in 2017, according to city numbers. That is up from a traffic count done in 2015 that recorded 13,000.
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