Skateboarders may be allowed on the 200 block of Bear Street as part of the Woonerf trial.
Banff town council has passed first reading of an amendment to the traffic bylaw that would allow skateboarding on the 200 block of Bear Street as part of the Woonerf trial. Second and third readings are scheduled for Aug. 17.
Tony Clark, the Town of Banff’s bylaw services supervisor, said growth in the popularity of skateboards and advances in technology have made the skateboard a popular mode of transportation among the younger Banff demographic.
“In many cases, the modern skateboard has become the alternate choice to a bicycle in getting around our town,” he said.
“In light of this, consideration should be given to allow skateboards on the roadway portion of the 200 block of Bear Street for the duration of the Woonerf trial.”
The roadway portion in the trial Woonerf zone in the 200 block of Bear Street has been designated as a pedestrian and bicycle priority zone. Vehicles must yield to pedestrians and bicycles and travel no more than 20 km/h.
Councillor Ted Christensen voiced concerns about enforcement.
“How do you apprehend someone who is breaking the law and running amok?” he asked.
Clark said he believes it is more important to enforce vehicle speed during the Woonerf trial.
“We do not chase people down because it’s just going to cause more danger,” he said.
Currently, skateboarders are banned from Banff Avenue and Bear Street through the downtown core, though they are permitted in downtown alleys to give them a safe route through town.
Most roads in town with significant hills, such as Tunnel Mountain, Mountain Avenue and St- Julien Rd, are off limits to skateboarders, too.
Coun. Stavros Karlos tested the waters to see if there would be an appetite from council colleagues to open up skateboarding on all roads where cyclists are allowed.
“Have we considered allowing skateboards on all roads?” he said. “The average speed in a residential setting is the same as a cyclist, I believe. I’m only talking about on roadways, not on sidewalks.”
This is the first year of a three-year trial of turning Bear Street from Caribou to Wolf streets into a woonerf, a Dutch term to describe shared-use streets that focus on pedestrian experience.
Banff has $250,000 on the capital books for 2017 and $3.5 million for 2018 for the permanent woonerf project. The capital costs for the trial project are $100,000, plus $17,000 per year for maintenance.
The three-year trial is intended to help look at traffic flow, congestion and parking issues before moving ahead with construction of the full-blown woonerf project in 2018, as well as identify any improvements for the project’s final design.
The trial will operate during the summer months only, and will be dismantled for winter.
