In our Bow Valley, it sometimes seems, little is done in municipal politics without a study or survey or pilot project being launched as a first step in a process.
That being said, Banff council’s move to give paid parking a try on five surface lots in the tourist town is perfectly in keeping with what is more or less standard procedure.
It’s a good move.
We realize that citizen outrage against the possibility of paid parking was quashed via a plebiscite in 2000, but that is now 14 years ago and, just like the rest of the world, things have changed in Banff.
Today, more than a decade later, the controversial issue has risen again and the business community and some residents have again voiced their displeasure with the possibility, predicting all manner of doom and gloom should visitors be asked to pay to park.
But, as Mayor Karen Sorensen pointed out during a council discussion Monday (June 9), Banff has evolved from a destination where international tourists arrived in buses to one which attracts more Western Canada rubber tire traffic. Rather than a bus with eight or 10 tires delivering 40-plus tourists at a time, visitors are more likely to arrive one family at a time, with four wheels under them (or six or eight if pulling an RV).
And with the focus on increasing the number of large, special events in Banff, the trend is unlikely to reverse. Events like GranFondo, marathons and triathlons and others are not likely to be attended by those flying to Canada, then busing to Banff to take part.
The most important aspect of a trial run on paid parking in Banff, however, is that it should result in the gathering of solid statistics which will allow council and administration to make an informed decision on moving forward with, or without, paid parking.
On the one hand, the entire town isn’t being subjected to pay parking, which should keep the business community calmed, and on the other, Banff may finally find out if there is an appetite for visitors to pay for their parking.
As to some of the predictions of dire consequences should pay parking take hold in Banff, it seems some residents and business people aren’t convinced of the unique nature of their own town.
If, as Banff Lake Louise Tourism touts, the town lies within The World’s Finest National Park, visitors shouldn’t mind paying a few dollars for a parking spot; no doubt like they do in their own hometown.
Here at the Outlook, we believe the majority of those travelling to Banff do so to visit Banff – not just some mountain town. A stop in Canmore, or an extra couple of hours of driving into the Columbia Valley, will not place you in the birthplace of the national park system.
Banff alone boasts the Cave and Basin, Whyte and Luxton museums, Upper Hot Springs, Lake Minnewanka, Banff Springs Hotel, unique galleries, eateries, shops and all manner of trails, wildlife, historic homes and sites – not to mention world-class views.
As to claims that Canmore would have to do no more than erect a free parking sign on the Trans-Canada to siphon off westbound visitors to Banff … we doubt it. Canmore has its own attractions, but they are not Banff’s.
Finally, in a town with as small a municipal footprint as Banff boasts, it should be easy for many residents and seasonal staff to leave their car keys at home – often.
