Calgary students launch petition over planned cancellation of bus route

High school students in the southwest are rallying against city plans to cancel a bus route they use to and from school.

Some Calgary high school students are pushing back against the city’s plan to cancel a bus route that many rely on to get to school in the southwest.

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The Calgary Transit 777 route services the Evergreen community and currently is the direct line for many students from the neighborhood to travel to Henry Wise Wood High School.

The group started an online petition, ‘Save Bus 777’ in hopes Calgary Transit will reconsider plans to end the route.

“Bus 777 is the Evergreen-Henry Wise Wood Bus Route used by Evergreen residents every day. Yet, the city is taking this privilege away from us. They are taking our bus away,” it reads.

According to an email sent home to parents from the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the route will no longer exist for the 2025/2026 school year.

“There was no further explanation provided,” said Arian Hussaini, who is a Grade 10 student at Henry Wise Wood, who takes the route to attend the International Baccalaureate program.

Hussaini said the school is the only one in south Calgary that has the International Baccalaureate program, so many students have to use transit to get there.

“We weren’t given much of a justification or much of consultation or back and forth with Calgary Transit with this issue.”

Hussaini said starting next year, instead of the direct bus to school, students will have to take a bus to the CTrain, or an alternative bus which is “overcrowded” and “jam-packed with students.”

“This direct bus takes 20 to 22 minutes, like one trip takes 22 minutes, and now one trip by itself would take 45 minutes to an hour for us,” said Hussaini.

According to the letter from the CBE, the service meets its transit guidelines for students, “in the regular program who live beyond the 2.4-kilometre walk zone within the regular program attendance area, with times of on hour or less and no more than one transfer.”

The area councillor for the Evergreen community, Dan McLean, said he’s aware of the petition.

“It’s disappointing for me to see this with transit department in Calgary has had massive budget increases and I’m always being told we have to encourage people to get rid of their cars, ride bikes, get on the bus. Take the train and now what we’re doing is killing a bus route so it doesn’t make any sense, I’m not very happy about it.”

McLean said he is committed to speaking to Calgary Transit about the issue.

“We will be looking at this further and hopefully this doesn’t get killed and we can keep that route operational,” he said. “Kudos to the students and families who’ve got engaged in the politics and municipal services and putting out a petition to make sure they keep their bus route,” he said.

Hussaini hopes students voices are heard and the route is saved.

“It helps to show that the youth are not just some kids, right? We’re someone who can make change, we’re people who can make an impact on our world and we’re starting to do that now.”

In a statement Monday, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) said it was informed by Calgary Transit that the route would no longer be available for the 2025-26 school year due to the low number of riders.

“We recognize that changes to transit options can be an adjustment, and we truly appreciate the students who have taken the time to advocate for their needs. It’s fantastic to see young people engaged and using their voices,” the school board said in its statement.

“Calgary Transit plays a vital role in providing safe and reliable transportation for students across the city, and the CBE values its continued partnership.”

The CBE notes that students living in the community of Evergreen are designated to go to Dr. E. P. Scarlett High School – a school that does not offer the International Baccalaureate program – and a Calgary Transit express route is available to that school.

It added that Calgary Transit determines the number of buses and routes based on ridership and available resources.

“Some residential districts have school express routes to the designated school. These routes are public transportation and can be accessed by the general public. Many residential districts do not have direct routes. Students in these residential districts must use regular service,” the CBE said.

Calgary Transit says the route’s ridership has fallen from around 70 students per trip in 2021 to 35.

“We often review our routes and when we do that, we look at routes performance, we look at ridership we look at demand on the routes and then we look at how a route fits to the overall area,” said Karen Alm, Calgary Transit’s service design manager.

Alm says available resources including budget, buses and drivers also play a role in cancelling or changing a route.