Use a Late Night Taxi Stand to get home safe

Back in 2010, some small but significant signs started popping up in Calgary’s busiest night life spots. The Late Night Taxi Stands were designed to cluster waiting taxis for partiers ending their evenings responsibly.

The idea sprang from the City of Calgary, Calgary Police Service, the business community and the local taxi industry. They wanted to improve safety for fares getting in and out of taxis by providing a space for taxis to pull over.  They also wanted to reduce the number of taxis double parking while loading and unloading fares in the middle of congested streets.

A 2012 review of the Late Night Taxi Stands had people reporting they found the stands confusing. Many said vehicles other than taxis were parking in the designated zones leaving no room for taxis. So the City of Calgary changed their signage to make the designated late night taxi zones clearer.

The Late Night Taxi Stand program operates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.

If you are looking for a stand, they are located at:

• 10^th Ave between 1^st and 2^nd St (Vinyl Retro Dance Lounge)
• 10^th Ave between 2^nd and 3^rd St (The Mansion, Craft and Whiskey)
• 11^th Ave and 5^th St (The Rhino )
• 12^th Ave and 5^th St (Hudson’s)
• 17^th Ave between 4^th and 5^th St (Local 510, Ship and Anchor and the National)
• 17^th Ave at 7^th Street (Melrose)
• 16^th Ave between 7^th and 8^th St (Metropolitan Grill)
• 17^th Ave between 12^th and 14^th St (Morgan’s Pub)

A new stand has also been added at 4^th St between 24^th and 25^th Ave in front of Wurst Restaurant and Beer Hall.

The City of Calgary is continuing to look for ways to connect cabs with the people who need them. Taxis are now permitted to idle at designated fire hydrants to wait for fares. During the 2012 centennial Stampede celebrations, five temporary stands were created and placed around the grounds to ease traffic and make getting home after the rodeo quicker and safer for everyone. Fifty five new taxi licenses have been issued with the condition that these taxis are on the road during the late night hours.

The reality is that there will never be enough taxis on the road to deal with the bottleneck at closing time.  The key to a great night out is to have a plan to get home safely. Think about leaving early to avoid the rush at closing time. If you choose to drive, agree to a designated driver for the evening. Click here for a list of inexpensive parking spots available downtown on the evenings and weekends.

Enjoy your night out in Calgary’s vibrant Centre City!

 

Comments

[laguna beach cab]

A risk is always there to avail a late night taxi. So we need a well controlled stands for them so that people can travel safe and securely

[AAA2B Cars - Taxis to Heathrow]

I believe there should be two types of night taxi - the first should be the original (for general transport), and the second to should accommodate drunk people.