The Government of Alberta said that it will continue to provide funding for low-income transit passes, but that falls short of Calgary’s desire for the program’s long-term fiscal certainty.
During Question Period at the March 10 Strategic Meeting of Calgary city council, Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Yule asked for an update on the mayor’s correspondence with the province on potential funding for the low-income transit pass program.
This was something that council had directed the mayor to do after last November’s budget adjustment.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said that a letter was sent on Feb. 12, 2026, and noted that the subsidized pass was an important tool that “unlocks access to the community” for Calgarians who need it most.
Currently, the province provides an annual allocation to the program, determined on an annual basis. Mayor Farkas wrote that the method is a challenge for the city.
“Single-year funding commitments are financially challenging for The City of Calgary and create uncertainty for citizens who rely on the program,” he wrote in his letter to the province.
“Long-term sustainable funding will not only secure the program’s future but also reinforce our shared commitment to building more inclusive, connected, and financially stable communities across Alberta.”
After reading the letter out in council on Tuesday, he followed it up by saying that he hadn’t yet heard back from the province. The Government of Alberta confirmed Tuesday afternoon that it had since responded with a letter to Mayor Farkas.
The province said that funding decisions for the program are made through the annual budget cycle, requiring the allocations be confirmed on a year-by-year basis.
According to Amber Edgerton, press secretary for the Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, since 2019, the province has funded the low-income transit pass in Calgary to the tune of $36.6 million.
“Alberta’s government remains committed to working with municipalities and other community partners to find solutions to ensure Albertans continue to have access to transit,” she wrote in an emailed statement.
“That’s why Budget 2026 maintains $16 million in funding to support the transportation needs of low-income and vulnerable Albertans.”
Long-term stability needed: Mayor Farkas
Nearly 130,000 Calgarians rely on the low-income transit pass, according to numbers provided in Q4 of 2024.
It’s a system that uses a sliding income scale to determine the depth of the discount a rider can receive on their transit pass. It currently has three price bands that jumped in 2026 to $6.30, $44.10 and $63.00 per month. The price increased with that of a single adult ticket, which rose in the last budget to $4 per ride.
The City of Calgary has provided a low-income transit pass since 2005. With the influx of new Calgarians, the need for the low-income transit pass program, which is administered through the City’s Fair Entry program, has skyrocketed.
In 2024, the Government of Alberta initially looked to cut the municipal funding for the low-income transit passes before backtracking on that decision.
On Tuesday, Mayor Farkas said that he sees the program as essential infrastructure in the city. It’s not a so-called nice-to-have.
“So many of our neighbours rely on it, and we want to be able to work together with our provincial government as partners. Initially, this was a partnership. It was a cost-sharing arrangement, but right now we see about 10 per cent of the cost coming from the provincial government and the remainder coming from the municipal government, and that’s just not fair,” he said.
“We’re asking for long-term stability here, and frankly, there’s a human element to it. Every single year, Calgarians worry about whether this program will be discontinued.
“It’s incredibly hard. It’s incredibly vulnerable to come to city council to essentially beg for this service to be continued.”
The cost to maintain the low-income transit pass in 2025 was roughly $58 million. The province contributed $6.3 million.
In the past, the province has said that this is a transportation-related program and therefore under the purview of the City of Calgary. Others, like Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot have said that it’s income support, which is the responsibility of the provincial government.
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