Short on time, but long on ingenuity

MAX Purple Bus Rapid Transitway (BRT)

When the City of Calgary wanted to improve the speed and reliability of transit operations in their 17 Avenue SE corridor, they decided to implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Our job? Design that would transform the corridor into a multimodal street with a strong focus on the needs of both pedestrians and transit, while still accommodating high volumes of traffic.

The connection of 17 Avenue SE to the City’s downtown has been enhanced by more than two kilometres of dedicated facility, providing a direct connection for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit. The project was led by the City of Calgary with funding from the Alberta and Federal Governments.

While the project utilized traditional engagement sessions to consult with the community, our team went a step further by also attending unannounced pop-up events at key community locations and customer feedback booths with extended hours to accommodate the diverse schedules of community businesses and stakeholders.

MAX Purple, Calgary’s first dedicated BRT corridor, is now open and serving the community.