Public transit is a vital method of transport for Calgarians. The fare is relatively affordable (although adult tickets may be getting more expensive) and transit stops are widely spread throughout the city. Students have been using these services frequently to get to school and other locations throughout the city.
Safety has been a matter of discussion between the City of Calgary and transit users for a while now, and the City has attempted to do their part and alleviate these worries.
Although, with incidents involving youth on transit going unreported, it stirs questions in the minds of parents and teenagers alike. Is Calgary transit safe for youth?
Background Information: Issues with Safety on Transit Services in the Past
The City of Calgary enforced new safety measures last year due to complaints about the increase in crimes on public trains and buses. The sharp upwards trend in dangerous incidents began during and after the pandemic.
According to Elise Stolte from CBC news, around 47% of Calgarians who participated in a City of Calgary survey claimed that they felt unsafe taking transit last year.
To respond to this, the City strengthened safety measures. They increased the number of peace officers present at stations, introduced transit security guards, placed more CCTV cameras into place, and more. They even have a special phone number that riders can call or text to report an incident.
Their efforts were not put to waste! Data from the City of Calgary shows a downwards trend at the start of 2024 in transit incidents, specifically in overdoses, graffiti, and broken glass.
When CBC News surveyed a small selection people at the start of 2024, most found Calgary transit to be improved from the past. They felt it was clean and safe. Most felt more comfortable using it during the daytime, with only 34% feeling safe waiting for the train or bus after dark.
Focusing on the Younger Population: Recent Cases Causing New Questions to Arise
Reading articles on the internet, I found that youth had not been surveyed on how they felt using public transportation. It is bizarre seeing all the positive reviews about Calgary transit by reliable sources online. Especially when I frequently hear reports from my peers involving crimes they saw being committed against them or someone else on these transportation vehicles.
Just a few weeks ago, multiple sexual assaults were reported by the riders of a Calgary transit bus.
Last week, our teacher informed us about his neighbor who had been brutally assaulted on his walk home from the bus stop. The man was arrested and the young adult was hospitalized, but the anxiety induced by this incident is a burden on the shoulders of the youth. The people living in the community where this took place remain unaware.
There have been other incidents where my female friends spoke to me about older men approaching them on the bus. They became angry and even violent if they didn’t share their personal information. These situations are not reported to higher authority and take place frequently.
These recent cases are a stark contrast to the positive data displayed by articles online from the beginning of the year. Is it possible that this data is now outdated, and Calgary transit is becoming decreasingly safe for the younger population?
Different Perceptions of Safety: Mixed Opinions from Younger Riders
I asked youth in my community about how they felt using public transit in 2024. The biggest differences in opinions were between people who were frequent users of transit and new riders.
My friends who began to use transit recently claimed that they felt unsafe on the trains and buses. They’re exposed to a whole new side of the city that they had been almost ‘sheltered’ from before.
They see Calgarians suffering from addiction and people without homes sleeping on the benches at stations. They never truly feel safe with the other riders present, especially at nighttime. For some of my friends, their parents do not allow them to use public transportation services after 6 p.m. This is believed to be the most incident-prone time period.
On the flip side, my friend who has been using transit for a couple years now claimed that the environment on the public vehicles was getting better. Not completely perfect, but better than usual. She has witnessed the state of Calgary transit during the pandemic and expressed enthusiasm about the improvements she has seen.
The youth also stated that it made no sense to fear the entire system due to a few outstanding incidents. She witnessed a few minor incidents but was never part of any. She stressed the fact that the people you see around the stations are usually harmless.
This longtime rider feels safe using public transit because of all the people around her. She trusts that the peace officers are there to help in the case of an emergency.
These conflicting opinions are difficult to make solid conclusions from. Youth perceive safety differently due to their different experiences. For someone who has witnessed worse conditions, our public transportation system is doing well in terms of safety. For newer users, there is a long way to go before they are accustomed to this environment.
Conclusions
Despite the starkly contrasting perspectives, most people can agree that there is always room for growth and improvement. The City of Calgary’s public transportation services have come a long way in terms of safety.
Looking at more recent cases, some tweaks could be made to the strategy currently in place. A few examples include incorporating youth-led initiatives that focus on this issue and safer bus stops with more surveillance.
By getting youth involved in an issue regarding their safety, their past experiences can aid the City, making public transport safer for the upcoming generation. The younger riders will know which solutions will work the best, and major improvements could be made.
Since it is a public service, Calgary transit is not 100% safe. There will always be outstanding incidents that take place.
I believe that with a focus on proper safety measures for youth, public transit can become a more sought-after method of transport for students in our city– rather than being the ‘last option’ that a student has to be anxious of.