A Calgary city committee is recommending an aggressive marketing campaign that will rebrand Calgary Transit’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system that includes a new name.
The BRT system will be named “MAX” and each route will have a colour code designation such as MAX Orange or MAX Teal.
Three of the four BRT lines will begin to run this fall and another will be up and running next year.
READ MORE: Calgary Transit seeks municipal funding to re-brand BRT system
At the Transportation and Transit Committee meeting on Thursday, councillors were told 44 existing bus routes will change and nearly 100 communities will be impacted by the new service and that’s an important reason for the marketing campaign.
READ MORE: City of Calgary looks for input as 3 new BRT lines launch this fall
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“These are tried and true documented techniques that have been used in other municipalities for successful BRT launches,” said Jennifer McMurtry, the city’s director of customer service and communication.
She said there will be an increase in riders for Calgary Transit.
“Three per cent of the overall ridership — which is what we think we can achieve with this additional marketing and communication fund — it equates to about a 1,000 additional daily riders.”
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That sold Councillor Shane Keating on the plan.
“If they can justify the expenditure that we’re actually… increasing our revenue by doing this, then I think it’s money well spent.”
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While Councillor Jeromy Farkas agreed there should be a marketing plan, he wanted something at half the cost of the proposed $366,000 option.
He said too much money is being spent on communications at the City of Calgary.
“It’s hard to go back to my constituents and tell them it’s either service cuts or tax hikes when we continue to spend so much money on marketing that really isn’t going to make an impact to the front-line service that they receive.”
His proposal lost in a 5-2 vote.
The plan now goes to the full city council for approval later this month.
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