Mayor Farkas suggests extending CTrain free-fare zone to Stampede grounds

Calgary's mayor says the city should consider extending the CTrain's free-fare zone to cover the Stampede grounds, arguing it would make travel easier for the more than 1.5 million people expected to visit during the 10-day event.

Jeromy Farkas called the existing free-fare zone a "gamechanger" for visitors moving between downtown and the Stampede. He said expanding it further could help people navigate the grounds more easily. "If anything, I think the debate should be extending the line. It would make a lot of sense to actually include the Stampede grounds so visitors can easily get on park and vice versa," Farkas said.

Calgary Transit reports operations have been running smoothly during the Stampede this year despite heavier crowds. Jonathan Lea, senior lead of service design, said the agency relies heavily on lessons learned from previous years. "This isn't our first rodeo, so to speak," Lea said.

To handle peak crowds, Calgary Transit has extra LRT cars staged and ready to be added to the system when needed, like after the nightly Grandstand Show. "They just wait for those busy times. We have a couple of extra LRTs we can insert after the Grandstand lets out," Lea said.

CTrain service is also running 24 hours a day during Stampede, a move Farkas said he hopes will eventually become standard for major events throughout the year. "It's all about taking what we're learning at Stampede and modelling it for other major events like the World Cup of Hockey," he said.

The city's free fare zone stretches from Downtown West–Kerby to City Hall–Bow Valley College stations. It was created in 1981 to boost accessibility and mobility in the city's core. Earlier this year, city administration suggested the program may no longer be viable, but council ultimately voted to defer the matter, citing the need for more community engagement.