Routes to Opportunity: Improving Youth Transit Equity and Access in Edmonton
This summer, our team welcomed a fantastic intern to join us for 10 weeks in the Ward Karhiio office as part of the 2026 Civic Youth Fellowship. The Civic Youth Fellowship gives young Edmontonians from diverse communities opportunities to build leadership skills, learn about public service and contribute to real City work.
As part of her internship, Bia developed a project that explored an important question: How does public transit shape a young person's ability to participate in their city? Included below is her final report, with valuable insights into how Transit plays a role in young people’s everyday lives.
What does public transit mean to a young person?
For some, it is simply a bus ride. For others, it is the difference between getting to school, making it to work, seeing friends, accessing healthcare, or participating in city life at all.
This report seeks to better understand the youth transit experience in Edmonton. Through conversations with riders and transit leadership, this project explores the relationship between lived experience and our current systems and policies, highlighting where they align, where they diverge, and how we can build a more equitable transit system together.
This report is a collection of stories, perspectives, and practical recommendations grounded in the belief that the people who use our public services should help shape them. I hope it encourages more young people to participate in conversations about their city and demonstrates that meaningful change begins by listening to the people most affected
