Editor:
Management and council must realize that for our business competition, paid parking is short-sighted. Canmore has large free parking areas.
Hosting large events in peak season is also short-sighted. This is actually harmful for many and causes traffic gridlock since Banff is already full. Most of our merchants hate it. Stop in summer at the park gates to pay, then hit more gridlock in Banff.
Total visits is not important, total quality visits is essential. Build the parkade. If you have to, charge for parking in it only until the parkade is paid for.
Don’t rewrite the law reducing parking requirements for construction. Parking is parking, whether on Banff Avenue or Beaver Street. And staff, including TOB staff need to stop simply moving their vehicles and trading with each other. Business owners need to encourage parking away on our quiet streets and walk in.
If paid parking is introduced in Banff, Canmore will love it.
Jim Abelseth,
Banff
