Advance polls open for Banff Avenue pedestrian zone vote

A group of Banff residents is bananas for Banff Avenue, encouraging neighbours to ballot “yes” to an yearly pedestrian-only area connected nan town’s main street.

“Our connection is that Banff Avenue is simply a amended erstwhile it is simply a pedestrian area than erstwhile it is unfastened to conveyance traffic,” says Jessica Campbell, a Banff resident and personnel of nan group.

“When it is closed location is accessibility for measurement much individuals and nan opportunity to bask Banff.”

The two-block, vehicle-free conception of Banff Avenue was first launched successful 2020 to beforehand societal distancing during nan COVID-19 pandemic and a conception of nan roadworthy has been closed to postulation from nan May agelong play to Thanksgiving each twelvemonth since.

In January, Banff municipality assembly approved nan pedestrian-only area for 2024 but a resident petition successful March had assembly nonstop nan determination to a vote.

“We person a municipality that is planned and built astir 1 arterial roadworthy which goes consecutive done and onto nan bridge,” says Leslie Taylor, a resident who helped motorboat nan petition.

“When you artifact that road, location are issues successful nan remainder of nan town. The postulation congestion moves done into nan residential areas. It concerned people.”

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Both sides of nan statement work together nan bigger mobility is really to negociate nan number of vehicles that travel to nan four-square-kilometre municipality each year. Banff has not grown outward of its roads since its incorporation successful nan 1990s.

Advance polls opened connected Tuesday and tally done nan week. The ballot is scheduled for Aug. 12, and nan results will beryllium binding.

If nan pedestrian area is approved, it will proceed arsenic planned until nan Thanksgiving agelong weekend. If residents ballot against it, nan area will beryllium taken down and postulation will return to Banff Avenue wrong a fewer weeks of nan decision.