Banff residents rally in support of pedestrian zone; petition to nix it has triggered vote

Political divide over vehicle-free Banff Avenue The future of a seasonal vehicle-free zone in the heart of Banff is causing something of a political divide.

Sporting bright yellow clothing, a group of more than 100 residents marched down Banff Avenue on Wednesday in support of that street's vehicle-free status.

The coalition group Friends of a Better Banff Ave organized the "Go Bananas for Banff Ave" event in an effort to encourage residents to vote "yes" to having a pedestrian zone on Banff Avenue every summer.

Each summer since 2020, the Town of Banff has closed a small section of Banff Avenue so residents and tourists can safely stroll down the street, taking in the mountain views while perusing displays from local restaurants and stores.

The closure typically happened from May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend.

Initially, Banff town council wasn't planning to bring back the pedestrian zone this year, but that decision was later reversed.

A petition presented to council in May sought to have cancelled any plan to continue shutting down Banff Avenue in the future.

The petition to overturn the pedestrian zone had 1,019 valid signatures, which is close to one-quarter of Banff's eligible voters.

The town's general manager deemed it sufficient to precipitate a vote of electors to determine the issue.

Former Banff mayor and councillor Leslie Taylor helped organize the petition.

"It's not because people dislike the idea of a pedestrian zone. It's because our town is planned around one main artery. And that's Banff Avenue, a straight line through the town onto the bridge," Taylor said.

"Once you interfere with that, once you block our main artery, you have all sorts of off-site effects, you cause commercial traffic congestion in the residential areas, and that is a problem."

Taylor also cites increased commercialization as a result of businesses spreading out onto the street on Banff Avenue.

"In Banff, we have a commercial cap. You're not supposed to have any more commercial activity. But that cap was defined by how much space you could build. Space with walls and a roof. If you move commercial activity outdoors, you get to add more without violating the cap."

Advocates of the street closure say it's a small price to pay for a larger societal benefit.

"I really appreciate being able to ride a bike in this area with my daughter," Banff resident Peter Dubeau said.

"It's super safe. There are no cars flying back and forth. It's just such a really cool vibe to be in Banff, on Banff Avenue, walking around enjoying the scenery."

The official vote will be held on Aug. 12, but advance polls were open on July 13 and are open again from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 17, and again on July 29.

The results of the ballot are binding on Banff town council.

A Town of Banff spokesperson told CTV News if the voters choose to maintain the street closure, nothing will change, but if it is rejected, then council will meet at the end of August to pass a new bylaw rescinding the street closure.

If that happens, it's expected Banff Avenue could fully reopen to traffic by mid-September.