BANFF – Turning downtown Banff into a pedestrian zone has proven popular among tourists and helped many struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but hasn’t come without controversy.
Initially planned to give people more space to socially distance on Banff Avenue, the pedestrian-only area on the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue and Caribou Street was also designed to assist struggling businesses which had been closed during strict lockdowns in spring 2020.
With public health restrictions imposed, including capacity limits, almost every business wanted a much coveted commercial presence on the main strip. The pedestrian zone allowed for outdoor dining in restaurants and cafes on the streets and for people to queue outside retail stores that were already at capacity.
However, several council candidates in the upcoming Oct. 18 municipal election have raised concerns about the take-over of the public realm for commercial purposes on an ongoing basis, particularly given Banff’s federally legislated commercial development cap.
Mark Walker said he is concerned that ongoing commercial use of public roadways will be seen by Parks Canada as an expansion of commercial operations within the national park “and will be rejected.”
“Without the expanded outdoor seating, I feel like closing Banff Avenue for pedestrians and cyclists should be reserved for special occasions only,” he said, referring to parades, festivals and other appropriate special events.
That said, Walker welcomed the Town of Banff’s swift action early in the COVID-19 lockdown to help out shops and restaurants by allowing for expanded outdoor dining and retail – and creating room for social distancing.
“I believe that the pedestrianization of Banff Ave allowed us to keep some semblance of a normal summer when we may have otherwise been facing shuttered windows and closed shops,” he said.
Coun. Ted Christensen said discussions on private use of public property must be entertained before a definitive answer on whether or not to pedestrianize Banff Avenue next summer or into the future can be made.
“The true costs must be explored and the increased demands of traffic use, including tour bus use, must be assessed during summer and winter seasons,” he said.
Allan Buckingham, who is taking another run at a council seat after falling short in the 2017 municipal election, questioned how the federally-mandated commercial growth cap plays into this, with businesses expanding their square footage onto the road.
“Assuming businesses are allowed outdoor sales and seating, how might this affect the commercial growth cap? We would be commercializing public space,” he said, adding there is also a link to housing affordability.
“Presumably businesses can’t operate the additional space with the same number of staff, and more staff means more demand on housing.”
None of this, however, makes Buckingham want to write the idea off completely, noting he loves the atmosphere of public outdoor public spaces and it is still something that interests him.
“I believe it’s important, though, to think through all the possible effects of our decisions, so we don’t end up dealing with unexpected consequences later,” he said.
Traditionally, Banff Avenue is the busiest pedestrian area in the Town of Banff, attracting up to 30,000 people a day during peak season in a pre-pandemic year.
Touted by Banff and Lake Louise Tourism as a competitive edge over other resort towns in western Canada, the pedestrian zone aimed to give visitors a new reason to come to Banff.
A strong supporter of a pedestrian-first downtown during her two terms on council, Mayor Corrie DiManno said she would philosophically support continuing the pedestrianization of Banff Avenue in the summer months.
She noted it has been successful in boosting economic activity and creating a new way for visitors to enjoy Banff.
That being said, understanding the traffic data collected, seeing vehicle flow modelling, examining traffic impacts and hearing feedback from residents and businesses is crucial to a future decision for DiManno.
“This information will strongly influence my decision on continuing with this initiative,” she said.
Because Banff Avenue is an important transportation corridor for vehicles, the closure of the two blocks – along with the closure of a portion of Caribou Street – did create some traffic congestion on the busier summer days.
Vehicle traffic was diverted to adjacent thoroughfares such as Beaver Street, and to a lesser extent Muskrat and Otter streets on the east side of Banff Avenue, and to Lynx and Buffalo streets to the west and south on the pedestrian zone.
Many council contenders raised concerns that this may worsen when vehicle numbers, including the return of tour buses, go back to pre-pandemic levels – a time that saw gridlock and Banff’s road system beyond its capacity for much of the summer.
Coun. Chip Olver said closing the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue had a dramatic effect on the amount of traffic and quality of life of residents of Beaver Street and other side streets, as well as people living on the south side of the Bow River bridge.
She said it’s possible it could still be closed for some special events in quieter seasons, but not in the busy summer season.
“I’ve enjoyed the pedestrian zone, visited outdoor businesses and loved the flower boxes; however, I don’t believe we can continue blocking off the main transportation corridor for access across the bridge,” she said.
With concerns of traffic back-ups on the south side of the bridge, council candidates also flagged issues of emergency evacuation, including the potential for a future wildfire on that side of the river.
The Town of Banff, which has worked hard on its evacuation plans, estimates it would take about four hours to evacuate all vehicles from the south side of the bridge, including residents and visitors at tourist attractions like the gondola and hot springs on Sulphur Mountain.
“I’m concerned about the amount of time it takes for residents who live on the other side of the bridge to cross the river,” Olver said.
“As vehicle numbers increase, and with Banff Avenue closed, resident and visitor evacuation from the south side of town would be challenging.”
This is also concern for mayoral hopeful Karen Thomas, who said traffic flow from the south side of the river must be improved.
“I hear concerns of the south side residents who are afraid of what may happen if there is an emergency, medical or natural, where lack of ability to escape quickly could lead to tragedy,” she said.
“If the fire department is trying to get up the hill to fight a fire, and residents are trying to get out at the same time, what is the plan?,” she added.
“The climate emergency of wildfire can happen quickly as we have seen this past year with fires at Dead Man’s Flats – and thus we need more talk about Banff Ave.”
Kaylee Ram said that with restrictions easing and a sense of normalcy seemingly within the near future, any future plan for a pedestrian zone should be based on cost analysis, a transport survey, including past years with tour buses, and public input.
She said the pandemic made evident just how reliant Banff is on tourists to keep the economy going, but said members of the community are feeling decisions within the town are primarily benefiting tourists over residents.
“Those feelings cannot be discounted. Their feelings are valid, and need to be heard and taken seriously,” she said.
Mayoral hopeful Brian Standish said he would only support shutting down Banff Avenue to vehicles again in order to allow for greater social distancing if the pandemic continues into next summer.
“However, as I see us emerging out of the pandemic, I would not support the pedestrianization of Banff Ave. strictly for the benefit of our visitors,” he said.
“While we've been able to manage traffic fairly well over the past 18 months, the end of the pandemic will see increased traffic and the closure of Banff Avenue will have huge traffic and congestion repercussions for our residents.”
Barb Pelham, who prefers walking a pedestrianized Banff Avenue instead of the back alleys to avoid crowds, said the inevitable return to a busier Banff, including motor coaches with international guests and more cars, means auto traffic on Banff Avenue is necessary for the near future.
“Bear Street offers a respite from traffic and noise in the downtown core and is an amazing place for locals and visitors alike to truly enjoy Banff,” she said.
While it created a wonderful pedestrian experience the past two summers, Coun. Grant Canning also believes closing Banff’s main arterial road during a year with normal summer traffic volumes will have huge impacts on the side streets, particularly Lynx and Beaver streets.
“I don't think it should be considered permanently without a full traffic plan to mitigate the impacts on the side streets,” he said.
“At this point we have not discussed what that traffic plan would look like. If we can limit the side effects to a manageable level, then I would consider closing Banff Avenue during the summer moving forward.”
Hugh Pettigrew said he hears concerns about congestion with Bow River bridge traffic in summer, but also believes the closure of Banff Avenue needs to be part of a bigger community discussion, which includes paid parking.
Pettigrew, whose wife Alanna Pettigrew spearheaded the Banff Residents Against Paid Parking movement, questioned whether paid parking made a significant impact to congestion.
“It is not evident to me,” he said. “Before we give consideration of a permanent Banff Avenue closure, we need a community discussion. This should be part of our strategic council priorities for the next four years.”
Having lived on the south side of the Bow River in summer, Jessia Arsenio said he understands annoyance at congestion, noting the bridge traffic is “absolutely brutal.”
He said any effort to pedestrianize Banff Avenue on a committed seasonal or permanent basis needs changes to local and regional transportation to come first.
“If we haven't done the work of getting cars off the roads, we have to reckon with the fact that our transport infrastructure is still built for cars,” he said.
“Changes to how we get around is going to be another generational challenge. We would be well-served by having as many residents feel included in decision-making as possible.”
Stephanie Ferracuti would be open to considering a Banff Avenue pedestrian zone next summer from mid-June to mid-September if council hears from residents that they, too, found it a success.
She said traffic congestion is an issue concerning to residents and the effect of keeping Banff Avenue closed in the summer will have more of an impact on residential streets when vehicle volumes return to 2019 levels.
“I would need more information on how this could be mitigated before I could make a final decision around supporting long-term closure of this area every summer,” she said.
Kerry-Lee Schultheis loved the restaurants and animated atmosphere that came with the pedestrian zone, noting she enjoyed the fact there were no cars.
She said she believes there are answers to solving concerns about the steady stream of cars on residential streets, which does change the character of neighbourhoods.
“I think that could be solved by having intercept parking and shuttling people into the downtown core,” she said.
“These shuttles should also be allowed to go up Banff Avenue; that’s keeping them off the side streets.”
Dana Humbert said he conditionally supports the pedestrianization of Banff Avenue provided it can be done in a fiscally responsible manner and after hearing resident feedback from the last two summers.
“The pedestrianization of Banff could be optimized to decrease the congestion, increase patio and gathering space, and provide a more inviting space,” he said.
Humbert pointed to the stunning redevelopment of Bear Street, which provides a glimpse of what Banff Avenue could become.
“Although not all supported this project, now that it is complete, we see decreased vehicular traffic, visitors walking the street and our residents meeting and gathering on Bear Street,” he said.
“It feels less congested, as there is available space to spread out. Pedestrianization in towns leads to fewer road accidents not only between cars, but between cars and pedestrians.”
Les Young wants the whole idea fully re-evaluated, including the implications of added traffic on residential streets.
“I do not fully understand how liquor licensing permits can allow so much street area to be added in to restaurant square footage, so how can I explain it to others?,” he said.
While supporting the concept of the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue as a pedestrian zone, Shawn Rapley can’t support the initiative without concrete solutions to traffic congestions, keeping in mind growth in visitation in the future, including tour buses.
“It is imperative that we find long-term solutions to our over-burdened roads in order to ensure that our community continues to move down the road to sustainability and livability as a community,” he said.
Garry Gilmour could not be reached for comment by the Outlook’s deadline.
