Rail and bus plans, fares and mobility choices; approving a route is distinct from approving construction funding or delivering service. People are shown across their recorded careers unless dates are set.
Explicit approvals to advance the Green Line program. Choices between two rail alignments and a wind-down after another government's funding withdrawal are explained separately and do not automatically count as opposition to rail.
Policy positions
1 row| Person | Score (0–100) | Independent decisions | Remove-one low | Remove-one high | Evidence status | First vote | Last vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel Schmidt | Not available | 0 | Not available | Not available | Insufficient voting evidence | Not available | Not available |
Council chose a surface route at 10 Avenue and 2 Street SW over the previously studied elevated alignment and requested further planning budgets.
Outcome: The City reports that the surface alignment was approved and is in early design and planning; the downtown construction phase was not yet established.
City of Calgary, Green Line Downtown Segment, September 22 update · reviewed Oct 29, 2026Council considered studying whether ongoing Free Fare Zone operations and budgeting could move from Calgary Transit to the Downtown Strategy team.
Outcome: The final clause failed 7–8 after an earlier amendment carrying the same direction passed 8–7. Approval of the amendment did not establish final adoption. Neither vote itself abolished the Free Fare Zone.
Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, pages 332–334 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026Council deferred the Free Fare Zone decision to its updated fare strategy, due at Infrastructure and Planning Committee by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
Outcome: The final clause carried 9–6. An earlier amendment carrying the deferral passed 8–7 with a different coalition. The deferral did not itself abolish the Free Fare Zone or settle the eventual fare policy.
Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, page 333 final 9–6 clause; page 331 amendment 8–7 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026Council directed an increase from a 90-minute to a 120-minute valid transfer window, with a future effective date and a funding request.
Outcome: Council adopted the direction with a January 2027 effective date. As of this review the vote establishes future policy direction, not an already-operating 120-minute window.
City Clerk's Council and Committee Votes · reviewed Oct 29, 2026Council asked for a comprehensive safety, equity and financial review of the downtown Free Fare Zone.
Outcome: Council commissioned a review. This vote did not itself abolish the Free Fare Zone or enact fares.
City Clerk's Council and Committee Votes · reviewed Oct 29, 2026A 2026 budget amendment provided $1 million for the Primary Transit Network and $5 million for the base/local network in ongoing operating funds, financed by property taxes.
Outcome: The amendment carried 13–2. Budget approval does not prove a specified later route-frequency increase.
Confirmed 2025 Council minutes, December 2 continuation, page 591 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026The amendment reversed the 2023 fare freeze, approved additional 2026 fare increases and a user-fee table, and linked the revenue to budget funding changes.
Outcome: The amendment carried 8–7. This choice does not establish a general pro-transit or anti-transit position.
Confirmed 2025 Council minutes, December 1 continuation, page 583 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026| Date | Person | Decision | Recorded vote | Meaning and scoring rationale | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 22, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Choose the downtown Green Line surface alignment | Yes | Select the surface alignment and advance its planning, design and procurement. Both the selected and baseline options are rail alignments. Treating this Yes/No choice as a general pro/anti-transit score would be misleading. | Context / unscored |
May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Consider a review of Free Fare Zone administration | Yes | Commission the feasibility study for that administrative transfer. An earlier amendment passed 8–7 before the final clause failed 7–8. Both stages are shown; the amendment's passage is not counted twice or treated as adoption. | Context / unscored |
May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Consider a review of Free Fare Zone administration | Yes | Commission the feasibility study for that administrative transfer. The final clause determines adoption of the feasibility direction. It is not a rail-investment choice or a vote to abolish free fares. | Context / unscored |
May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Defer the Free Fare Zone decision to the updated fare strategy | Yes | Postpone the decision and consider it through the scheduled updated fare strategy. The Yule/Clark amendment passed 8–7 before the final clause passed 9–6 with a changed coalition. Yule and Schmidt voted Yes at both stages; their later written reasons describe this May 26 decision, not the earlier February 24 review. | Context / unscored |
May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Defer the Free Fare Zone decision to the updated fare strategy | Yes | Postpone the decision and consider it through the scheduled updated fare strategy. This is the adopted final deferral clause. It addresses decision timing and process; neither side identifies support for removing free fares or investing in the Green Line. | Context / unscored |
Apr 28, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Extend transit transfers to 120 minutes | No | Reject this transfer-and-funding direction. This vote is explained as a specific decision and is not included in an issue spectrum. | Context / unscored |
Feb 24, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Review the downtown Free Fare Zone | Yes | Commission the review and its recommendations. This vote is explained as a specific decision and is not included in an issue spectrum. | Context / unscored |
Feb 24, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Extend transit transfers to 120 minutes | No | Reject this transfer-and-funding direction. February direction requested the impact and implementation assessment before the April decision. | Context / unscored |
Dec 2, 2025 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Add $6 million for transit network service | Yes | Approve the $6 million operating allocation and its tax funding. A direct transit-service funding choice, but it does not advance the Green Line programme, so it is not counted as a vote on rail investment. | Context / unscored |
Dec 1, 2025 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Reverse the transit fare freeze for the 2026 budget | No | Reject this fare-and-budget funding proposal. The proposal combines fare revenue, operating-service costs and tax effects; it does not advance the Green Line, and those tradeoffs cannot be reduced to support for or against rail. | Context / unscored |
| Date | Person | Record type | Choice or statement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Choose the downtown Green Line surface alignment · Yes Both the selected and baseline options are rail alignments. Treating this Yes/No choice as a general pro/anti-transit score would be misleading. | City of Calgary, Green Line Downtown Segment, September 22 update · reviewed Oct 29, 2026 |
| May 27, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Vote explanation | Supported deferral to preserve the free-fare zone during a broader fare review. | Schmidt: vote explanations, May 27, 2026 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Consider a review of Free Fare Zone administration · Yes An earlier amendment passed 8–7 before the final clause failed 7–8. Both stages are shown; the amendment's passage is not counted twice or treated as adoption. | Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, pages 332–334 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Consider a review of Free Fare Zone administration · Yes The final clause determines adoption of the feasibility direction. It is not a rail-investment choice or a vote to abolish free fares. | Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, pages 332–334 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Defer the Free Fare Zone decision to the updated fare strategy · Yes The Yule/Clark amendment passed 8–7 before the final clause passed 9–6 with a changed coalition. Yule and Schmidt voted Yes at both stages; their later written reasons describe this May 26 decision, not the earlier February 24 review. | Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, page 333 final 9–6 clause; page 331 amendment 8–7 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| May 26, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Defer the Free Fare Zone decision to the updated fare strategy · Yes This is the adopted final deferral clause. It addresses decision timing and process; neither side identifies support for removing free fares or investing in the Green Line. | Confirmed 2026 Council minutes, May 26, page 333 final 9–6 clause; page 331 amendment 8–7 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| May 4, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Vote explanation | Opposed the transfer extension, preferring frequency improvements and the comprehensive fare review. | Schmidt: vote explanations, May 4, 2026 · reviewed Oct 29, 2026 |
| Apr 28, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Extend transit transfers to 120 minutes · No This vote is explained as a specific decision and is not included in an issue spectrum. | City Clerk's Council and Committee Votes · reviewed Oct 29, 2026 |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Review the downtown Free Fare Zone · Yes This vote is explained as a specific decision and is not included in an issue spectrum. | City Clerk's Council and Committee Votes · reviewed Oct 29, 2026 |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Extend transit transfers to 120 minutes · No February direction requested the impact and implementation assessment before the April decision. | City Clerk's Council and Committee Votes · reviewed Oct 29, 2026 |
| Dec 2, 2025 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Add $6 million for transit network service · Yes A direct transit-service funding choice, but it does not advance the Green Line programme, so it is not counted as a vote on rail investment. | Confirmed 2025 Council minutes, December 2 continuation, page 591 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
| Dec 1, 2025 | Nathaniel Schmidt | Recorded vote | Reverse the transit fare freeze for the 2026 budget · No The proposal combines fare revenue, operating-service costs and tax effects; it does not advance the Green Line, and those tradeoffs cannot be reduced to support for or against rail. | Confirmed 2025 Council minutes, December 1 continuation, page 583 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026 |
Supported deferral to preserve the free-fare zone during a broader fare review.
Schmidt: vote explanations, May 27, 2026 · reviewed Oct 30, 2026Explains the May deferral, linked to that actual vote rather than the earlier February review instruction.
Opposed the transfer extension, preferring frequency improvements and the comprehensive fare review.
Schmidt: vote explanations, May 4, 2026 · reviewed Oct 29, 2026Explains a fare-versus-frequency tradeoff; a No on the extension cannot establish opposition to transit service generally.
A missing commitment is not a finding that someone made no promises.