Commuting in a large city can be difficult, especially if you’re ill prepared for your journey. But with some research and planning beforehand, you too can consistently make it to your destination.
Using transit trackers and applications
There are many ways to check for your connecting bus or train outside of looking at a printed schedule or the screens at C-Train stations, especially with the technology we have now.
For many, Google Maps or Calgary Transit’s website are sufficient enough for their needs, though they don’t show live updates on the bus a majority of the time. They’re best utilized to either plan trips, or to learn what the bus schedule is when you’re first starting to take a new bus route.
The Transit app is a great tool to use for both transit schedules and real-time updates on the location of the vehicles, and there’s a wide range of regions the app supports, so you can download it once and be set regardless of where you travel. It shows major service updates in the app on the routes it’s affecting, and its real-time tracking is also aided by riders sharing their location while riding, so there’s an added layer of trust in the results that are shown throughout the day.
Calgary is currently one of the cities the Transit app is testing out mobile ticket purchases on, so now riders can schedule their commute and have their tickets pre-purchased on the one application instead of downloading the cities specific app.
While you can stick to using the Transit app and buying tickets as you go, if you want to have a digital monthly pass or a U-Pass, you’ll have to download the Calgary Transit My Fare app. It has it’s own benefits, it’s much easier to navigate it you’re solely interested in purchasing ticktes, and it links you to webpages regarding helpful services Calgary Transit provides.
The city also has an app for their On Demand services, a new service to combat the lack of bus routes in newer communities in the city.
“It’s kind of like Uber, but it’s basically a transit app,” says Kelly Mayze. “It’s run by Calgary Transit, and you use transfers and tickets to get one, and it’s basically where you order it.”
Staying up to date with Calgary Transit and the City of Calgary
Though Calgary Transit is good at promoting city wide changes, such as seasonal bus schedule changes and pre-planned closures, it never hurts to be prepared for the unexpected and to know where to look for information.
“I do usually pay attention to the signs,” says Asher Hache. “Like, if a station’s out of order or something, kind of got to find a way around that.”
The Calgary Transit website has a page dedicated to service changes, that are in effect , and you can read their specific updates by clicking on the route names. They also have their news posts, where they go more in-depth about new changes to both service and stations.
For more urgent delays that happen along the C-Train lines, their X page tends to be up to date with what the nature of the issue is and an approximation of the delay’s impact on the average commute. Not long after these updates come out, the Transit app tends to have an alert on that train’s line with a similar message.
Running
Running for your connecting bus, while temporarily embarrassing, can be the difference between arriving on time to your destination and arriving a half hour late. While the trains run anywhere between every five to ten minutes at most stations on weekdays, busses and weekend schedules cut down service substantially, and the C-Train won’t hesitate to leave you.
That being said, staying safe is more important than risking your health, so be mindful of both the weather and your surroundings to maintain your security. Don’t run onto a platform while the arm barrier is lowering, or run across traffic to a bus stop, it’s not worth it to risk your life. The train will come eventually, it only has two directions to go in.
Feature Image: People waiting for the train to Tuscany Station to arrive at SAIT/AUArts/Jubilee Station in Calgary on Monday, March 16, 2026.
