And the survey says ... yes we can.
Yesterday, Bow Valley corridor mayors and officials gathered together to reveal the results of a feasibility survey on mass transit.
Commissioned by the towns of Banff, Canmore and Cochrane, as well as the City of Calgary and Improvement District 9 (within Banff National Park, based in Lake Louise), the intention of the survey was to examine the possibilities of enhancing mass transit to service the region in order to drive down the number of low-occupancy vehicles on the roads.
"I like that we're getting together as a region to announce this and that the study has been put out to the public," said Mayor Jeff Genung, adding that he is "excited to see what the next steps will be" and the possibilities are endless. "You could live anywhere in the region and work anywhere in the region."
According to a recent press release, ridership for a bus service could range from 200,000 to 490,000 each year and between 220,000 and 620,000 per year in the first year for passenger rail, on the full route.
Year-round capital costs for bus services could range from $8.1 million to $19.6 million, with roughly $2 million each year in operating costs, less fare revenues.
For passenger rail, capital costs are projected between $660 million and $680 million, with estimated annual operating costs between $8.1 million and $9.1 million, less fare revenues.
The study has clarified that the cost would be too onerous for the partnering municipalities alone and that any form of mass transit for the region would require buy-in from other levels of government.
The study was funded by an Alberta Community Partnership Grant of $350,000.
Municipalities are looking to stakeholders and community members to step forward with ideas on mass transit in the region.
As tourism continues to grow in the region, particularly in the summer months, 10 to 20-minute delays are not uncommon in Banff when roadway capacity has been reached. According to the study data, roadway capacity in Banff was exceeded 97 per cent of the time in 2017 in July and August; this is up from 15 per cent in 2013.
The congestion along Highway 1A and Highway 1 between Banff/Canmore and Cochrane has risen considerably in recent years – with a major backlog of weekend traffic, especially on long weekends, travelling into Cochrane.
VisitBanff.ca/MassTransit for full study details.
