Visitors to Banff, Alta., will need to park their cars and walk, pedal or skateboard if they’re planning to visit the town’s main downtown road this summer.
As of Monday, Banff Avenue is closed to motorized vehicles, save for Roam transit buses, for the two-block stretch between Buffalo and Wolf streets. A section of Caribou Street has also been designated off-limits to drivers.
According to Banff town officials, the buses that travel through the Banff Avenue pedestrian zone will be “crawling extremely slowly and with an alert bell.”
Visitors to the area may cycle or skateboard within the pedestrian zone as long as they yield to, and travel the same speed as, foot traffic.
This year’s pedestrian zone will include a free, staffed bike valet near the Visitor Centre that will offer free e-bike charging.
The street closures in the national park are scheduled to remain in place until Oct. 13 with upward of 30,000 pedestrians a day expected to visit Banff Avenue during the height of the summer season.
This is the final year of council’s commitment to the summer pedestrian zones that debuted in 2020 in response to pandemic-related concerns. The program was extended through 2023 as, according to the town, there was “overwhelming support from visitors and popularity among many downtown businesses.”
Council plans to seek feedback from the public this fall before making a decision on the program’s future.
Banff will continue to offer free parking at the train station parking lot, accessible from Railway Avenue, roughly an eight-minute walk from downtown.
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