International Avenue businesses thanked with free Transit tickets

CALGARY ­— Business owners on 17 Ave. S.E. were treated to a unique Valentine’s Day surprise today courtesy of Calgary Transit and Roads.

As a special thank-you to the community for their patience during construction of the MAX Purple rapid transit line, The City provided 1,470 books of 10 transit tickets for local businesses to share with customers as an incentive to shop along International Avenue.

“We’re very happy to offer these tickets as a small token of our appreciation to the community,” said Doug Morgan, director of Calgary Transit. “This project was about providing great transit service for Calgarians and creating a revitalized urban space for residents and businesses along International Avenue.”

One of three MAX lines rolled out on Nov. 19, 2018, MAX Purple serves key destinations such as Forest Lawn, International Avenue, Inglewood and Downtown. The route includes dedicated transit-only lanes along 17 Ave. S.E. and three transit-only bridges over Deerfoot Tr., the Western Headworks Canal, and the Bow River.

In addition to the Southeast Purple Line, MAX Orange and Teal serve communities in Northwest and South Calgary, with construction on the Southwest BRT – the fourth and final BRT project underway – expected to wrap up in 2019.

Early results show that MAX has improved travel time, made better connections, and raised the quality of transit service for a majority of customers. The service has attracted a 3.5% increase in ridership in 2018, with a majority of the new customers now using Calgary Transit because of the new MAX service, heated shelters, real-time displays, and improved lighting and the bus stop amenities that customers use that they value the most.

For more information on the bus rapid transit network, visit calgary.ca/BRT.