Introduction The aim of Alberta Regional Rail is to provide a regional transit system that meets peoples needs, bringing commuters from the suburbs and outlying municipalities into downtown in the morning and home after work. The regional highway and road network is congested and ARR has the potential to provide significant new travel options across the Calgary Metropolitan Region. Congestion is a leading concern of people in the Calgary Metropolitan Region. There are significant economic benefits to solving the problem, and costs for failing too. Some US cities have tried to meet growing travel demand by expanding their highway system. Most US cities have 5 times or more highway capacity th

Reece Martin makes great informative transit videos out of Toronto. He gives a shout out to Alberta Regional Rail in this one. Commuter and regional rail are the future of travel in Alberta.

With the number of tourists visiting Banff increasing every year the town has expanded it's popular bus service. With parking in Banff becoming worse year after year, having a reliable transportation system not dependable on the automobile is the best solution to the problem. Roam Transit, (2018), "Fall Service Expansions! Lake Louise and The Banff Centre".

A great read about how commuter rail is helping revitalize communities in the North Eastern United States. Connecting population centres with accessible transit helps everybody in the region. City Lab, (2018), "For a Better Economy, Add Commuter Rail?"

A great read about how expanding highways and building more roads doesn't lead to less traffic congestion. This is why rail initiatives are continuing to grow across North America. It adds further weight to the unsustainable use of private vehicles in an expanding metropolitan region. City Lab, (2018), "City Lab University: Induced Demand".

http://www.albertaregionalrail.com This is not high-speed rail, but a regional rail system. The closest examples to my idea would be FasTracks RTD Denver and GO Transit Toronto, though most of my idea comes from my experience travelling around London UK. GO Transit is more established having been in operation since 1970s, and is primarily set up for commuter transportation, however this is changing with their proposed Regional Express Rail. FasTracks is currently under construction in various phases, and provides an idea of capital costs and issues with developing a rail system in the modern era. FasTracks also uses smaller Electric Multiple Units that are more along the lines of my idea

Do we want to spend $17 billion creating 8 lanes on Highways 1 & 2 between Airdrie, Okotoks, Calgary and Banff, or $3 billion on enhancements to the existing railroads in order to enable an efficient and environmentally friendly passenger rail network? Studies show that rail service attracts more riders than bus services. One of the principle responsibilities of Government is Transportation Infrastructure that enables the free movement of goods and people, congested infrastructure networks inhibit economic growth. Bus services are an efficient and economical short term solution, the road network is already in place and the buses are relatively inexpensive, however they are not a long term