BANFF – Low-income Banff residents may get free public transit between Banff and Canmore.
Banff council has asked administration to explore budget impacts and feasibility of expanding the Banff Access Program to include free Roam transit for Banff-Canmore regional for tier one and tier two pass holders, beginning this summer, using some of a $1.4 million provincial grant.
“I believe this directly serves the main goal of making transit more affordable for everyone and I’d like to implement this sooner than later,” said Mayor Corrie DiManno, who pitched the idea during the April 10 council meeting.
The Banff Access Program provides eligible residents with discounts on classes, programs, transit passes, purchases at participating businesses and more. A tier one member gets 50 per cent off regional single ride passes, a 10-ride pass and a monthly pass, while tier two members get 25 per cent off.
As part of a $15 million provincial low-income transit funding announcement in February, Calgary and Edmonton each got $4.5 million, while an additional $6 million will be used to support low-income transit pass programs and will be available to pay for some operating costs for municipalities including Canmore and Banff.
For the Town Banff, the grant will fund up to a maximum of $1.4 million over two years, with $699,800 the first year and up to a maximum of $734,000 next year based on the number of transit passes issued in 2023-24.
“We have already cashed the $700,000 in the spring and we could receive an additional $734,000 to a cap of $1.4 million,” said Dorothee Esquerre, the Town of Banff's finance manager.
Administration will present options at the 2024 service review at the end of the year for council to consider how to spend the $1.4 million on transit programs that meet the criteria of its visitor pay parking reserve fund.
In a town where the living wage is more than $30 per hour, DiManno, however, wants to move more quickly on getting free regional transit for the Banff Access Program pass holders, noting the cost would amount to about $95,000 of the $1.4 million.
“To put it really bluntly, if I was a Banffite who was a tier one or tier two holder and I read the Town of Banff was receiving $1.4 million for low-income transit passes and I was still being offered a 50 per cent or 25 per cent reduction for regional transit, I’d be wondering, well, what the heck,” she said.
DiManno said the municipality has long been an advocate of low-income transit, offering the first passes in March 2007.
“Today we see approximately 500 people per year using low-income transit passes and we know this initiative is making a real difference in the lives of Banffites,” she said.
“I believe one of the intentions behind receiving this funding is to help remove barriers for folks living with low income.”
Administration will bring a report back to council before May 24 on the budget impacts and feasibility of offering free Roam transit on the regional route to Banff Access Program holders.
