Editing Calgary Transit (section)

== History ==
[[File:Streetcar and trolleybus cross Calgary's Louise Bridge in 1947.jpg|thumb|This 1947 image shows an older streetcar vehicle passing one of the new electric trolleybuses that replaced all the streetcars.]]

What would eventually become Calgary Transit began as the '''[[Calgary Street Railway]]''' <ref>{{cite book|last=Jennings|first=A. Owen|title=Merchants and manufacturers record of Calgary|year=1911|publisher=Jennings Publishing Company|location=Calgary|page=28|url=http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=858955|access-date=2013-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108001220/http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=858955|archive-date=2016-01-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> on July 5, 1909,<ref>{{cite book|last=Ward|first=Tom|title=Cowtown : an album of early Calgary|year=1975|publisher=City of Calgary Electric System, McClelland and Stewart West|location=Calgary|isbn=0-7712-1012-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/cowtownalbumofea0000ward/page/234 234]|url=https://archive.org/details/cowtownalbumofea0000ward/page/234|access-date=2013-06-17}}</ref> with twelve electric [[tram|streetcars]] serving what was at the time a city of 30,000.<ref name=CalgaryMunicipal /><ref name=StampedeCityHatcher /><ref name=CalgaryElectricTransit /><ref name=Icon /><ref name=CalgaryGrandStory /><ref name=FirstStampede /><ref name=StampedeCityReasons />
This streetcar service expanded throughout the next thirty years (including the [[Great Depression|Depression]]) until 1946, when the company was renamed to '''Calgary Transit System''' as electric [[trolleybus]] vehicles began replacing the local streetcars. Eventually the electric trolley lines were phased out together — to be replaced by diesel buses. In 1972, CTS assumed its current name of Calgary Transit.

Between the early 1970s and 2000, Calgary Transit had a three tier bus service. Standard bus routes were identified with white bus stop signs. Blue Arrow bus routes, marked by blue signs, provided limited stops, and all day service to suburban neighbourhoods from the city centre. Express service was indicated with red signs and provided extremely limited bus service to the far reaches of the city during peak hours only. These tiers have been slowly phased out, since Calgary Transit began expanding [[CTrain]] lines and capacity and implementing [[Bus rapid transit|BRT]] service. The last Blue Arrow route was cancelled in December, 2019. Express routes now appear side by side on the same signs as regular routes. MAX routes appear on a separate white and grey sign, while non-MAX BRT lines (routes 300, 301, 302, and 305) appear on red and white signs.

[[File:Calgary Transit Douglasbank Terminal Bus Stop Signs.jpg|thumb|Archaic signs. Left: White sign, for regular routes. Right: Red sign, for express routes]]

[[File:Calgary Transit Bus Stop Signs.jpg|thumb|The current styles of bus stop signs in Calgary. Clockwise from top right: CTrain replacement shuttle, MAX BRT, non-MAX BRT, and a regular route sign.]]

In 2012, Calgary Transit planners presented mayor [[Naheed Nenshi]]'s council with a tentative 30-year plan 'RouteAhead' to enhance the capacities of Calgary Transit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/|title=thestar.com – The Star – Canada's largest daily|website=thestar.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.routeahead.ca/|title=Long-Term Strategic Plans – Calgary Transit|first=Calgary|last=Transit|website=www.routeahead.ca}}</ref>

On December 13, 2012, Craig Hardy, became the one hundred millionth rider of the year. He received free transit for a year and was celebrated by mayor Nenshi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Calgary+Transit+surpasses+million+riders+year+first+time/7696886/story.html|title=Calgary Transit surpasses 100 million riders a year for first time (with video)|first=Erika|last=Stark}}</ref>

[[File:2023-10-25 Calgary Transit Monthly Ridership.png|thumb|Calgary Transit Monthly Boardings, 2010 to September 2023.]]