Editor: Anyone who thinks that I am an idiot for writing, in a letter published last week, that creating a Moose Street exit from the proposed 900-stall parking lot at the Banff Train Station, is absolutely right.
My enthusiasm for this much-needed project blinded me to the obvious: Moose Street must not be used as an exit/entrance point for this proposed parking lot.
In order to make Moose Street an exit point the parking lot at the daycare would likely have to be removed. Vehicles would then have to drive by the daycare, Mount Edith House and Banff Elementary School. This extra traffic would result in an exponentially increased danger for the seniors, young students and tykes who live, learn and/or play in that immediate area.
So, I now 100 per cent do not support using Moose Street as an exit point for that hoped-for future intercept parking lot.
Perhaps Rabbit Street might be considered as an exit/entrance point. The median on Banff Avenue, at the end of Rabbit Street, would have to be removed and traffic lights installed at that new exit/entrance.
I look forward to learning the results of future public input as regards the train station project.
Perhaps as a way of saying thank you to Jan and Adam Waterous, the Town should contribute to the cost of paving those 900 parking stalls. After all, paving their parking lot will be a lot cheaper than the cost of building the intercept lot or multi-level parkade that Banff may no longer require after the train station parking lot is completed.
Any plans the Town may have to implement pay parking should be postponed until after the electorate has had a chance to make their wishes known in October when they can respond to the plebiscite that Town officials have promised to include with ballots on election day.
Jon Whelan,
Banff
