Banff residents vote 'no' to contentious pedestrian zone

Banff residents have voted "no" to the town's contentious pedestrian zone.

Monday, 2,523 ballots were cast, with 1,328 counted toward doing away with the pedestrian zone.

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[citytrees]

Canada greatly reduced its passenger rail systems back in the 80s and made the entire country dependent on cars. It used to be easy to hop on a train from Calgary and take a day trip to Banff. Now it's incredibly expensive to take a luxury train. Until Canada expands alternative transportation, such as trains, those cars are going to keep on coming.

[margyeoman]

Banff is way too busy. And way too many cars running around town and not finding parking.

[ridinreiners]

It’s a catch 22. We were there last summer and it was brutal trying to drive around the pedestrian zone so I understand why residents are upset. On the flip side, Banff basically exists because of the tourist industry. It seems on a worldwide scale, that in vacation destination areas, the locals become quite resentful of tourists.

[bobbucks]

I couldn't get into Banff the last time I was there. Add construction to the mix the traffic was backed out to the hiway. Tourists should park at the ski hill and be shuttled to town by bus. Every body wins.

[joankroll]

This is for the Tourists. WE grew here, YOU flew here. DON'T like it?? GO ELSEWHERE.

[hehedodopacaoan]

If you don't want traffic congestion don't go to Banff anymore, just go to Canmore and you can see the mountain also. Mountains in Banff is also visible in Canmore. It's just Banff.

[triciaco]

I'm glad. I felt sorry for the locals as traffic was pushed through the residential area.

[Ssmto]

Is tourism not huge there? Why would y’all not cater to that?

[MinhNguyen-esoz]

What economy is Banff base on again? I’m confused

[PierceMD]

I imagine it'd be a pain living there, if all the traffic is by your place. Haven't been there for a year or two, it was packed!

[thaiduong]

Residents more priority than visitors!

[deeg]

Public consultation = We consulted you, now we will do what we want anyway.

[garygjl]

well the main street in Banff is hardly a place to sit and eat as there are few eating places along the main street to begin with. That said parallel streets have the same views of the surrounding mountains as opposed to the iconic mtn view in front of the Parks Canada building. Banff has changed and this is what happens to a national treasure. Glad the residents prevented the

Just don't go there and see the businesses/area dry up. Then the streets will be free of everything.

[tmoleary]

car culture dominates..sick society that would choose cars over walking

[darwinsaye]

I know that restaurant owners love when they can suddenly double their seating capacity, but from someone who worked in restaurant kitchens most of my life, I bet that the staff are glad they canceled the street seating. Everyone focuses on how it affects the profits of the business owner, but no one talks about being the employees and having to handle double the business with no increase in staff or pay and in some cases even trying to operate beyond the capacity of what the kitchen equipment itself was designed to handle.

[jackmidst]

wtf! What is it with female mayors who always want to either engage in “conversations” or “embrace” one thing or another and “move forward together”…

[finished]

Why don't they just do like we do here in Vancouver, and push it through anyways? Maybe because developers and fentanyl dealers aren't making $$$ from the zone or the business owners didn't have the wherewithal to bribe? Nice to see that there is at least one township that isn't completely corrupt

[expatmoose]

I was there last year from Europe, thought is was such a great place to be for shopping bars and restaurants (something that brings in revenue for the Banff citizens) imagine all those vacationers driving through there instead of walking, causing pollution in that wonderful natural area that Canada is so famous for, please leave it as a no car zone

[jdanielcramer]

You can always go down the highway to Canmore…🙃