Caution | Mandatory Outdoor Water Restrictions

Due to continued dry conditions, mandatory Stage 1 Outdoor Water Restrictions are in place until further notice.

Visit Calgary.ca/restrictions for more information.

Specialized Transit plan and budget

Specialized Transit plan and budget

2023-2026

Specialized Transit provides specialized buses, vans and sedans for Calgarians with disabilities and seniors with limited mobility to get them where they need to be safely, reliably and affordably. Calgarians who have disabilities often have fewer transportation options; our service is a vital connection to the people, services and amenities Calgary has to offer.

Our customers

  • Calgarians who have disabilities that prevent them from taking regular bus and train service. 
  • Connects people across the city and links to other transportation services like public transit, streets, and sidewalks and pathways.

Our partners

The City of Calgary business units including:

  • Finance, Supply Management
  • Community Strategies
  • Recreation & Social Programs
  • Capital priorities & Investments
  • Mobility
  • Fleet & Inventory
  • Facilities
  • Downtown Strategy
  • City & Regional planning
  • Information Technology
  • Human Resources
  • Corporate Security

Value to Calgarians


  • provides a door-to-door shared-ride service that makes it easier for Calgarians living with disabilities to get around safely, reliably and affordably
  • connects customers with people and places that they care about by providing safe, accessible, reliable and courteous public transportation services
  • expands transportation options to ensure a vital connection to the people, services and amenities Calgary has to offer

What we deliver


  • Enabling customers to connect anywhere across the city
  • Ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible service. 
  • Maintains a service that is priced according to usage and ability to pay

Budget breakdown


service plan budget

Legend

Operating ($millions)
Capital ($millions)
View budget in the year of
service plan budget
Service line Breakdown
Specialized Transit

Get a complete breakdown of how your property tax dollars are used.

Service performance


Expected 2026 performance.

On-time performance

2022 was 93.8%

2023 mid-year was 92.4%

Operating cost per trip

2022 was $36.05

2023 mid-year was $33.02

At Fault customer service reports per 1000 trips

2022 was 0.41

2023 mid-year was 0.24

# of trips

2022 was 828K

2023 mid-year was 508K

Calls answered in 3 minutes or less

2022 was 95.2%

2023 mid-year was 93.1%

What we've heard

Through the recent survey conducted by the Corporation, the following are the most frequent themes identified regarding why Specialized Transit and its values matter.

  • It is a service that is valued for independence and needs to be affordable.
  • Safety concerns with accessing the LRT and stations.

From value dimensions, Calgarians ask to focus more on reliability, accessibility, and safety.

Participate and view results of City research

What we're watching

  • Our service has experienced serious impacts over the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Service demand is picking up for specialized transit service relatively quickly as compared to public transit service. 
  • We will continue to increase service to accommodate increasing service demand, while efficiently using the contractual resources at our disposal. 
  • We are also working with internal partners for continuity of the Provincial funding support for Low Income Transit Pass program beyond March 2023. 
  • We will continue to focus on technological advancements and other innovative service delivery models.

Our initiatives


What we plan to do

Specialized Transit service will continue to provide service to Calgarians as it recovers through the pandemic, aligned with the service demand.  Over the recovery, service will continue to be optimized through efficient use of in-house resources and contractual service providers.

How we're going to get there

  • Improve service and align service levels with return of customers to the specialized transit system by optimizing schedules.
  • Improve service by investing in innovative service delivery options and technologies.
  • Improve employee engagement and safety awareness/training by investing in employee commitment.
  • Implement and monitor the accountability framework for Calgary Transit safety areas which are moving to other business units and/or departments.
  • Implement a continuous improvement framework to improve service delivery while coordinating across the corporation.

More initiatives