On April 12, a man was taken to a hospital in a near-death condition after a shooting on a Calgary Transit bus. On March 28, at the Lions Rail LRT, two women were stabbed after a dispute with several people. On March 15, police found a man and women with stab wounds at an LRT station in downtown Calgary. These are only three of many violent acts that have been on the rise in Calgary for the past few years.
For many people traveling on public transit, especially through the downtown fare free zone, a single trip has become a dangerous risk. For more vulnerable demographics, such as women, disabled folks, Indigenous people and other POC, an already lingering fear for their safety has only sky-rocketed.
As a brown, teenage girl who relies on public transit to get to places like school, libraries and volunteering opportunities, it is impossible to relax, even during the 1.5 to 2 hour rides that I must take sometimes.
For many people, taking transit it not a choice, as Calgary is a massive city, and not everyone has access to a car. For these people, the best solution is to tackle the problem at its core.
These problems arise due to things like gun violence and drug abuse, but the core of the problem truly lies within Calgary’s homeless crisis, largely related to critical gaps in mental health care.
Violence within Calgary’s public transport system is relevant to every Calgarian, despite the fact that it may seem distant to those who have access to cars. It is up to us all to work together to tackle these issues, and speak up about how they may be fixed.
