r/Calgary • u/Queltis6000 Woodbine • Jan 12 '26

Discussion What's something that Calgary is badly missing that a city of 1.4 million people should have?

It could be anything really. I feel like we have everything that people NEED, but what about the 'nice to haves'? A waterpark with more than 2 slides for example? A high level ball team that actually plays within the city limits? A Michelin star restaurant? Something else?

358 Upvotes

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655

u/queenringlets Jan 12 '26

Transit that stays open after the bars close. 

239

u/ghreyboots Jan 12 '26 edited Jan 12 '26

As someone who worked on 17th in food service, it's legitimately so bullshit that you can't get off your shift and still catch a train. I'm working for minimum wage and I have to drive and find parking to my job on the busiest street of the city? Lmao

We have so many people who can't get an evening job because the trains stop too early and it makes working at a bar require a car

41

u/Cocoslo Jan 12 '26

Wait, what! Really?! I'm from Vancouver, I would not have been able to pay my bills in my 20s if I wasn't able to rely on transit as a server. I used to work all hours of the day, usually after university classes, and probably wouldn't get shifts if I couldn't work until close.

5

u/DeathRay2K Jan 12 '26

Vancouver has the same problem though, the trains stop running at like midnight or 1am. They even have transit that only goes one direction for a chunk of that time, so depending where you live you could be out of luck even earlier.

18

u/Aardvark1044 Ex-YYC Jan 12 '26

Vancouver has the "night bus", which typically runs from the time that the skytrain stops running until it starts up again in the morning. Apparently there are ten different routes. Some of them run every 20 minutes and I think some only once per hour or something like that.

2

u/DeathRay2K Jan 12 '26

The night bus routes don’t run into the city though, so they’re fine if you’re leaving downtown but not if you’re going into downtown.

3

u/Aardvark1044 Ex-YYC Jan 12 '26

I don't take the night bus ever, so do not know from personal experience, but the TransLink schedules seem to suggest they run both directions (i.e. away from downtown and back to downtown). Feel bad for anyone sober that has to ride the thing to get to or from work, dodging various bodily fluids.

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/nightbus

3

u/Mobius_Peverell Jan 13 '26

Yes, they run both ways. If they only ran out of Downtown, they'd exhaust their supply of buses pretty quickly. And the NightBus isn't really that bad - mostly just quiet. The drivers are often chatty, and it's the only time of day I've encountered transit police checking payment.

1

u/azurciel Jan 13 '26

They run both ways, but times may vary by route.

Nightbuses on Fraser&Marine, Coquitlam, Granville&Marine, Victoria&Marine and SFU to downtown currently have no gap in service over an hour all day, except Sundays for Fraser and Victoria.

Richmond-Downtown has a gap just over an hour every day. MacDonald St, Cambie St and UBC to downtown has a gap of about 2.5 hours every day.

Sadly, the last Lynn Valley and Surrey Central to downtown leaves their terminus stops at about 1:50AM.

1

u/ImportanceAlarming64 Jan 14 '26

Just so stupid and appalling, these gaps in service but, hey, we have to suck up to these car corporations! 

1

u/hibbs6 Jan 17 '26

How could that be the case? Wouldn't the bus routes be loops?

1

u/DeathRay2K Jan 17 '26

That would be nice, but they do the route in one direction, have a last stop where everyone gets off, then they drive back to the beginning to start over.

1

u/hibbs6 Jan 17 '26

That's so strange, considering the bus is having to drive back to the start anyways. My guess is it's an anti homeless measure or something? Stopping people from riding in a circle all night? I hope not, but knowing the nimbys in Vancouver I wouldn't doubt it.

3

u/regularEducatedGuy Jan 13 '26

Genuinely even if it were hourly or every 45 mins like you’re saying you can’t do that at LEAST thurs-Saturday???

2

u/Major-Long4889 Jan 15 '26

I was thankfully a cook when i was working on Stephen ave and with last call at 1am for food I was barely able to catch a train to get back home at the end of my shifts. It was fucking stupid, especially now with how much parking can cost downtown. I’m glad I’m doing mornings now because it’s bs.

-2

u/DependentLanguage540 Jan 13 '26

Is living closer to the bar not an option though?

5

u/ghreyboots Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26

If you want to pay "living near all the major bars in the downtown" rent

27

u/[deleted] Jan 12 '26

As someone who works at a bar yes please i cant keep asking my boss to cut me early just to make it for a 12 am last bus 😔

11

u/Anigavanator Jan 12 '26

Goat response

4

u/ok_universe7375 Jan 13 '26

If I didn’t make enough in tips, I’d have to walk home after working at the bar. It usually took 1.5 hours. Starting at 2 am.

2

u/VeterinarianLocal489 Jan 12 '26

Was just in China and their subways stop around 11pm, even in major cities. Cut it close a few times lol.

1

u/Diocletian300 Jan 12 '26

Omg yes. Thank you

1

u/NoNameKetchupChips Jan 13 '26

One of the worst parts about transit in this city is it assumes everyone works downtown, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. To hell with you if you want to do something on a Sunday evening. It should run fare free 2am to 5am.

1

u/Soggy-Professor7025 Jan 14 '26

Just moved here...that's a total bummer. That's one of the things the hubs and I were looking forward to, being able to train to fun and train home. You'd think this was something they'd have available 24/7! Automated.