Improving bus service in north Calgary could cost anywhere from $511 million to $2.09 billion, according to four options going to a city committee Tuesday. The proposals would expand the MAX Green bus rapid transit corridor between Keystone Hills and downtown Calgary, with the goal of making service faster and more reliable. The Centre Street North and Harvest Hills Boulevard corridor is already Calgary’s busiest for buses, with about 1,000 bus trips to and from downtown every weekday. According to the city’s report, the worst delays occur between 64 Avenue North and downtown. The city says improvements along that stretch could benefit commuters from communities farther north. The four options The options vary widely in cost and how much construction they require. City administration cautions that spending more may not necessarily bring proportional improvements in service or ridership. However, greater separation from regular traffic could improve travel times and reliability. The report does not provide projected travel-time savings or ridership increases for the individual options. Those benefits will be examined as part of further analysis. Councillors are not yet being asked to approve a specific option or commit construction funding. What happens next Calgary’s executive committee is scheduled to review the proposals Tuesday morning. Administration is recommending further analysis of costs and benefits, including impacts on traffic, parking, businesses and nearby communities. Related spending is expected to come up in the upcoming budget process. Administration plans to include approximately $1 million in the proposed 2027–2030 budget to plan a downtown MAX Green transit loop along Fifth and Sixth avenues South. Funding requests for improvements in Crescent Heights and a transit terminal in Keystone Hills are also expected. The city says these investments would support an eventual MAX Green expansion but would not complete any of the four options. Administration is expected to report back by the third quarter of 2027.
