Calgary Transit has upgraded how it tracks ridership, installing automated passenger counting technology on CTrains that provides daily data across the entire system.

The sensors, installed at each door, capture when people board and give Calgary Transit consistent information to make better decisions about scheduling and service planning. Around 70 per cent of the CTrain fleet now has the technology, which has been on buses since 2023, with coverage increasing as older trains are replaced.

Laura Hoskins, leader of performance and analytics, said having daily feedback on customer numbers across the entire system helps Calgary Transit adjust operations and plan for the future. The data also helps Council and The City be strategic about where to invest dollars to improve service and expand the network.

Hoskins said the technology will help Calgary Transit respond to seasonal changes, like summer events that attract more riders, by scheduling more or fewer trains depending on the time of year. The data can show trends over weeks, months, and years, helping deploy buses and trains that better reflect actual ridership.

Using the new methodology, 2025 ridership totalled 93.1 million trips, down slightly from 93.7 million in 2024. Calgary Transit attributed the decrease to the February extreme cold event, fall workforce shortages that required route cuts, and the October teacher strike.

Before automated counting, ridership was estimated through manual counts and periodic sampling, which relied on modelling and assumptions. The new approach provides more accurate data for year-to-year comparisons.