Being that the early part of this week featured a heavy snowfall in the Valley, what better way to showcase the newly-launched Bow Valley Regional Transit (BVRT) system?
For some, especially those who commute from Banff to Canmore, or vice versa, to work, the extended Roam system now offers an environmentally-friendly way to travel in comfort; snow-free, with no window scraping and without the ordeal of winter driving or hitchhiking conditions.
While Banff was way ahead of the curve in adopting its Roam transit system in 2008 for $1 million-plus, an idea now being examined by communities like Airdrie and Cochrane, extending the system to include Canmore under the direction of the commission is a fine example of municipal co-operation – with an appropriate boost of provincial funding.
With buses running since Monday (Dec. 3), now all that’s needed is a steady ridership and Parks Canada getting on board (if you will) with the project to keep costs down.
There may be some difficulties there, of course. For the most part, North Americans are a key-turning people who greatly favour driving their vehicles over other methods of transport. With Roam, though, Banff is not only very walking-friendly, its municipal transit system virtually makes vehicles unnecessary in a town where boundaries and growth are limited by law.
For municipalities that are trying, and want to appear to be trying, to be green, environmentally-friendly and have less of a carbon footprint, biodiesel buses such as those now running between the communities will assist with that.
While it was no doubt difficult for Banff to give up control of its Roam system to the commission, an expanded system, with any luck, will prove to be a boon to the Valley in many ways. BVRT can now be included in tourism and promotional materials, prospective employees (particularly those without wheels) may find it easier to gain employment in the valley, businesses in both towns will hopefully benefit from ridership in both directions and, if Parks Canada rebounds from budget cuts and joins the project as it was hoped from the start, the entire system can be expanded further to include premiere national park areas.
On the other hand, as Banff Councillor Stavros Karlos pointed out at a budget meeting on Nov. 29, if Parks doesn’t come through, costs will increase for the other partners.
In the end, expanding the Roam system required a leap of faith by partners in Banff, Canmore and ID No. 9. As in the movie Field of Dreams, it had to be hoped that “if you build it, they will come.”
There was no way in advance to be sure regional transit would be used, or by how many people, but now that it’s built, steady ridership is necessary to ensure success.
Visit roamtransit.com to explore everything the service has to offer.
‘Tis the season
Speaking of buses, the way Bow Valley businesses, charities and volunteers are swinging into action once again this holiday season, it’s maybe as well Christmas only happens once a year – otherwise, who could keep up the pace?
With businesses (too many to mention specifically) like Brewster offering up a bus to stuff with food bank offerings, pubs like Banff Avenue Brewing, Grizzly Paw and the Iron Goat holding events, charitable organizations and service clubs going full blast with seasonal happenings and volunteers pulling out the stops to lend a hand, this Christmas promises to be one of good tidings for everyone in the Valley.
Please donate or offer some of your valuable time.
