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SkyriseCalgary's Getting to Know series seeks to introduce our readers to a host of city-builders, innovators, and urbanists, whose vision for the future includes the creation of cities as livable spaces for all.
Hired as Calgary Transit Director in April 2012, Doug Morgan has now headed up one of Calgary's most important divisions for nearly five years. He's overseen a host of developments, including the completion of the West LRT in late 2012, the adoption and subsequent cancellation of the Connect Card electronic fare system in 2015, and the approval of the planned Green Line LRT late last year. He arrived to the Directorship from a tenure of service within the City of Calgary's Transportation Department, dating back to 2006, where he held the position of Manager of Service Design. Morgan has thrown himself into every aspect of Calgary Transit, from expansion projects, to updating the fare payment system, to ensuring the comfort and satisfaction of passengers and operators alike.
While Morgan counts himself as lucky to have secured the top position at Calgary Transit, not every file on the local transit wish-list has gone according to plan. He began the job during a moment of mass expansion and an unprecedented citywide enthusiasm for public transportation amidst what was then a booming city with dozens of cranes in the air.
After securing a contract with Schneider Electric to produce an electronic fare payment card system similar to Ontario's Presto and others found around the globe, the City ultimately decided to cancel the contract in 2015 citing concerns over performance and cost overruns. To date, the City is still on the hook for $5 million, an amount that many on council and members of the public believe is unacceptable. To this end, Morgan recently sent himself along with a contingent of colleagues to study the electronic fare payment system used in Salt Lake City, while studying those in Vancouver and Philadelphia from afar, in order to secure the best method for Calgary's ever-expanding network.
Moving forward, the largest item on the Director's immediate horizon by far is the continued planning and development of the Green Line LRT, to which the Province has already committed $146 million, with the remaining $1.5 billion required to see the project through to come from the Ottawa. On the current round of LRT expansion, Morgan has been steadfast in his enthusiasm. In his view, there is no better thrill than the sight of Calgarians excited to get out and make use of — and to actually enjoy — their city's public transit network. This shift towards urbanism has not been seen by the city since the days of the long-defunct Calgary Municipal Railway. As a champion of riders, operators, and behind-the-scenes staff, customer service has also been a top priority for Morgan. He believes that the experience of taking transit should be more than just acceptable, but fun and rewarding, enough so that even in car-centric Calgary, more and more people will eventually leave their cars behind to explore and engage with their city in brand new ways.
SkyriseCalgary will return soon with another edition of Getting to Know. Got an idea for our new series? Let us know!
