Talk about a positive initiative.
Or dare we call a transit route starting up within Canmore a positive?
Finally, most of our Bow Valley, at least the most populated portions, will have an interconnected feel not previously experienced in this region.
This fall, with Roam Canmore roaming the streets, a bus rider will be able to travel from the most easterly reaches of Canmore to the heart of Banff, with a Roam Regional excursion thrown in between – for the cost of bus fare.
For commuters, tourists wanting to visit both towns, moviegoers, shoppers, etc. Canmore’s addition of a local route will nicely round out the transit offering.
After Banff got the transit wheels rolling a few years ago with its own in-town system, which was boosted by the now very popular Roam Regional, it’s only natural that Canmore got on board.
For both towns, and possibly Lake Louise and Exshaw in future (who knows), transit is an initiative, like housing, that makes our valley more affordable.
This fall, more than ever, the notion that pretty much everybody has to drive to live in the Bow Valley will be a fallacy. A Bow Valley resident will be able to live in either town, or work in either town, knowing they’ll be able to get back and forth to work, or for extracurricular activities, without turning a key.
And, with traffic and parking woes ongoing in both towns, a completed transit system is likely to alleviate at least a small percentage of the problems.
While much has been made of encouraging increased bicycle usage in our towns as a means of reducing traffic and parking issues, cycling, especially in a climate where winter is a months-long season, isn’t for everyone.
On the other hand, in using a bus, riders can skip brushing ice and snow off their vehicle and step into a warm ride with a professional driver behind the wheel.
Local transit does require some organization on the part of users, as buses don’t run every few minutes, but that organization can pay off in money saved on fuel and reduced pollution, should someone look at the much larger picture.
We feel the cooperation shown between Banff and Canmore on transit is a shining example of intermunicipal cooperation and one that other municipalities, or regional districts are likely jealous of.
The fact Canmore council unanimously voted for free transit for whatever remains of 2016 once buses start rolling, is just a bonus.
Just as we feel launching Roam Regional needed a leap of faith to attract riders, enticing ridership within Canmore with a free fare offering is a good idea. Allowing a ridership to get the feel for, and convenience of, transit, should ensure success.
Of course, it’s also up to Canmore citizens to embrace transit, as it has been in Banff and by regional users, to make the entire system a success.
It’s hard to say what the future holds for transit, but it’s already been successful in Banff and regionally, and transit and shuttles have already proven effective at reducing traffic and parking issues during special events in both towns.
