Editor:
Re: Embrace the Disney way:
I have decided to follow up with additional details regarding my earlier letter.
1) The off-site parking: This is something we should talk to Canmore about because they might be interested in a share of the tourism revenue. I propose we look into a site at the very outskirts of Canmore and maybe a separate highway exit to reroute traffic away from the downtown core of Canmore. I suggest a remote location because I am pretty sure the residents of Canmore would prefer not to deal with our traffic problems.
2) Pedestrianizing downtown Banff: I suggest closing off Banff Avenue between Wolf Street and Buffalo Street as well as Caribou Street within a block of Banff Avenue. As I mentioned in my earlier comment (“Embrace the Disney Way”) we can fit many more human bodies in our town than cars.
3) Eliminate Street Parking: I propose we turn all street parking into bike lanes. I, for one, have noted that traffic is consistently held up by those side-by-side tandem bikes, groups of cyclists and rickshaws. None of these vehicles share the road (they are too fat) and they cannot travel at the speed limit. This results in all traffic moving at walking speed making the roads moot. We could install a second set of signals for bikes and allocate them 30 seconds to “scramble” through intersection like we do for pedestrians. This would allow all traffic to move at proper speeds.
4) Improve Signage: Americans have been dealing with traffic for a lot longer than us and have responded with some very good ideas. Giant signs everywhere. In particular, we should have signage indicating the location of the Trans-Canada Highway on all of the streets. Also, we should have a giant highway-style sign in front of the admin grounds/Cascade Gardens indicating which way various attractions are located (i.e. gondola, left, Cave and Basin, right). In addition to the larger signs, we should also have overhead signs. For example, signs should be overhead on Banff Avenue facing the bridge and even as early as Caribou Street indicating that tourists going to the gondola should be in the right hand lane, so that upon completing a left turn they are in the right hand lane to make a right turn towards the Sulfur Mountain parking lot (which should be shown on a sign at that intersection too!) Less confusion means less congestion.
Do I sound like a town planner yet?
Mike McIntosh,
Banff
