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| - This review comes from the point of view of a visitor to the city, a person coming from a large metro area with transit areas managed by multiple agencies (versus a single city agency as Calgary Transit). From the several days I spent in Calgary, experiencing the service so many depend on including my local friend, I feel that many other transit agencies near and far can learn from what Calgary Transit has cultivated, and how it handles aspects of its present situation. Most importantly, I noticed the density of ridership (even with the high numbers of riders using the service primarily for Stampede); somehow, the agencies back home in my neck of the woods (SF Bay Area) might somehow figure out how to concentrate this sort of ridership, whether through strategic planning for further route development or creating further incentives for riders through such features as frequency of service (nearly four and half stars in my book for Calgary Transit, in this vein), among others. I was surprised how quickly I could make it to and from downtown to my friend's more suburban neighborhood in the southwestern quadrant of the city. I was rather surprised how quiet Calgary commuters are compared to other portions of the SF Bay Area transit agencies I have used. Sure, the C-Train's not as comfy as SF BART is; however, the frequency of service does make up for that. I'm glad for such a transit system that made a visit with my friend much easier and less worrisome.
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