Mass transit hub planned for historic Banff train station
CALGARY A Banff couple has unveiled plans to turn the town’s historic train station into a mass transit hub which will include the creation of a 900-stall park-andride lot and a historic railway district at the northwestern edge of the town.
Jan and Adam Waterous, owners of Liricon Capital Ltd., the leaseholder for the Banff Train Station and surrounding rail lands, said their proposal stems from the desire to tackle transit and vehicle congestion issues in Banff National Park and make the town more pedestrian-friendly.
“Like the city that is trying to woo the NHL team and builds a fancy hockey arena before they get the team, Adam and I entered into a multi-decade lease agreement with CP Rail to prepare the Banff station and the surrounding grounds for the mass transit changes that we believe will be coming to our town,” said Jan Waterous.
Banff is currently undertaking a study on the feasibility of mass rail transit between Banff and Calgary, with the findings expected in the fall. The intent of the heritage rail district is to serve as an arrival centre for those passengers.
The heritage district, located on the site of the station’s current west parking lot, would celebrate the heyday of rail travel to Banff, incorporating relocated or rebuilt rail-themed heritage buildings and refurbishing rolling stock.
“We envision the restoration and repurposing of three heritage Banff buildings to help with additional passenger handling, capacity, and provide restaurants, travel and transportation services,” said Jan Waterous, adding more details will be revealed in the coming months.
The 106-year-old icebox building, which was saved from demolition last month and now sits in the station’s parking lot, will be incorporated as part of this plan.
“The heritage district itself will become a real gathering place for residents as well as visitors of the town of Banff,” said Jan Waterous.
The most visionary component of their plan is the construction of a large mass-transit parking lot east of the station building on lands which formerly served as a lot for holding boxcars and rail carriers.
“As such, the topography of that land is already relatively flat and roughly two-thirds of this area is already cleared of trees,” said Jan Waterous.
The Town of Banff has been exploring various methods to reduce the number of vehicles on their increasingly congested streets. The municipality is currently looking into collaborating with the Calgary Regional Partnership on a bus service to transport day users from Calgary, and it has been promoting and expanding its local bus service to encourage residents to take public transit.
Jan Waterous said that visitors will be able to park their cars in the new lot and walk five minutes to downtown Banff or hop on public transit buses or shuttles to points of attraction around the park. The primary entrance to the new lot would be from Mount Norquay Road, with secondary entrances potentially located at Cougar Street and Moose Street.
“We think that by having the mass transit lot in one location, it would be much easier for visitors to connect to other forms of transit,” said Jan Waterous. “We honestly believe that once people have the experience of getting out of their car and walking or biking or hopping on a shuttle service, that they will see that it is actually not only an environmentally friendly way to see the park, but also something that they themselves will enjoy much, much more.”
The proposal is still subject to approval from Parks Canada and the town’s municipal planning commission as the rail lands are within Banff ’s town boundary.
Jan Waterous said that they are working with Parks Canada to ensure the proposal meets their standards and are comfortable that it would be appropriate, and an environmental impact assessment will be submitted.
The couple also plans to create a 0.75-kilometre paved pedestrian and cycling pathway at the south of the rail lands from Mount Norquay Road to Cougar Street which will act as an extension of the popular Legacy Trail. This extension will allow users to detour around Banff ’s busy downtown streets and better connect between Vermilion Lakes and the Banff Avenue entrance to town via Cougar Street.
“It’s going to be very lush and a great buffer from the neighbourhood,” said Adam Waterous. “This is essentially going to be a downtown Banff bypass ... we describe this as the missing link between Canmore and the Vermilion Lakes.”
An open house for members of the public to give their feedback on the proposal is being planned.
Last year, the Town of Banff received nearly $15 million in provincial and federal grants for transitrelated initiatives, including for the creation of park-and-ride lots and the purchase of buses to be used specifically for park-and-ride shuttles. However, the municipality’s hands have been tied due to constraints imposed by Parks Canada.
Martin Bean, CAO of the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission, operator of Roam Transit, said that his organization will work with the Waterouses to have public bus transit service at the train station.
“We have to make it easy for people to park their cars and find a way into town and to the attractions,” he said.
Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen said the announcement is a “gamechanger” for visitors and residents alike.
“A welcoming and convenient transportation hub, and restoration and a celebration of Banff’s rail history will vastly improve the sense of arrival for visitors and our residents,” she said.
Sorensen noted that more than 50 per cent of vehicles crossing the Bow River Bridge last summer were day visitors in personal cars, and an option for them to leave their cars and have the opportunity to take alternate forms of transportation was needed.
“I am personally a huge supporter of mass transit, and I believe this revitalized venue will truly allow Banff to embrace the idea of moving people, not cars,” she said.