Bus Parking Pilot

Share Bus Parking Pilot on Facebook Share Bus Parking Pilot on Twitter Share Bus Parking Pilot on Linkedin Email Bus Parking Pilot link

Bus Parking behind Mount Royal Hotel - Pilot Study

The Town of Banff continues to explore ways to reduce traffic congestion in town.

Improving passenger loading areas for coach tour buses and commercial shuttles can help improve use of alternatives to personal vehicles, which are the main cause of traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in Banff.

The Town of Banff is conducting a pilot study in 2025-2025 to adjust the public parking lot east of the Mount Royal Hotel. The parking area currently offers coach/tour bus parking in the south portion, while the north parking section is reserved for smaller vehicles to use visitor pay parking.

Learn more at banff.ca/BusPilot

Take the survey on the changes listed below.

2025 changes:

Effective August 25, 2025, the bus parking area will be limited to coach/tour buses (more than 24 seats) and commercial shuttles (vans and mini buses) with 11-24 seats. Smaller shuttle vehicles must park elsewhere.

This parking area will be changed from a 2-hour parking lot to a 15-minute loading/unloading zone. This change to a loading zone is intended to:

  • move more commercial passenger vehicles through the lot
  • reduce need for coach/tour buses to stop in driving lanes of roads to unload passengers
  • reduce the need for buses and shuttles to have to reverse

Where to park?

🚌 Coach Tour Bus Parking (non-Banff businesses):

  • Industrial District 300 Hawk Ave. (day or overnight parking)

  • East Train Station Parking Lot (overnight parking only 8 p.m. - 8 a.m. – in designated row)

    🚌 Coach Tour Bus Parking (Banff businesses):

  • Use resident business parking lot

🚐 Shuttles (10-24 seats) Day Parking only:

  • On-street space that are not signed for resident-only parking, including streets in the Industrial District

All vehicles:

  • underutilized parking areas include the Park and Ride parking lot on Lake Minnewanka Road and in the Cave and Basin parking lot.

Future potential changes

  • Coach tour bus loading zone on Beaver Street at Mount Royal Parking Lot

  • Summer tour bus/coach day parking on Beaver Street at High School (when school not in session)

  • Summer bus/coach day parking at Elementary School (when school not in session)

  • Alley route direction changes

  • additional commercial shuttle parking in the Industrial District

  • dividing Mount Royal Parking lot into sections dedicated to vans/mini bus shuttles and sections for coach tour buses

  • removing personal vehicle pay parking from Mount Royal lot to expand coach tour bus and shuttle parking area

The Town of Banff will continue to consult with operators through the pilot study. Monitoring of traffic patterns in the Mount Royal parking lot will be recorded to help evaluate effectiveness of changes.

Bus Parking behind Mount Royal Hotel - Pilot Study

The Town of Banff continues to explore ways to reduce traffic congestion in town.

Improving passenger loading areas for coach tour buses and commercial shuttles can help improve use of alternatives to personal vehicles, which are the main cause of traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in Banff.

The Town of Banff is conducting a pilot study in 2025-2025 to adjust the public parking lot east of the Mount Royal Hotel. The parking area currently offers coach/tour bus parking in the south portion, while the north parking section is reserved for smaller vehicles to use visitor pay parking.

Learn more at banff.ca/BusPilot

Take the survey on the changes listed below.

2025 changes:

Effective August 25, 2025, the bus parking area will be limited to coach/tour buses (more than 24 seats) and commercial shuttles (vans and mini buses) with 11-24 seats. Smaller shuttle vehicles must park elsewhere.

This parking area will be changed from a 2-hour parking lot to a 15-minute loading/unloading zone. This change to a loading zone is intended to:

  • move more commercial passenger vehicles through the lot
  • reduce need for coach/tour buses to stop in driving lanes of roads to unload passengers
  • reduce the need for buses and shuttles to have to reverse

Where to park?

🚌 Coach Tour Bus Parking (non-Banff businesses):

  • Industrial District 300 Hawk Ave. (day or overnight parking)

  • East Train Station Parking Lot (overnight parking only 8 p.m. - 8 a.m. – in designated row)

    🚌 Coach Tour Bus Parking (Banff businesses):

  • Use resident business parking lot

🚐 Shuttles (10-24 seats) Day Parking only:

  • On-street space that are not signed for resident-only parking, including streets in the Industrial District

All vehicles:

  • underutilized parking areas include the Park and Ride parking lot on Lake Minnewanka Road and in the Cave and Basin parking lot.

Future potential changes

  • Coach tour bus loading zone on Beaver Street at Mount Royal Parking Lot

  • Summer tour bus/coach day parking on Beaver Street at High School (when school not in session)

  • Summer bus/coach day parking at Elementary School (when school not in session)

  • Alley route direction changes

  • additional commercial shuttle parking in the Industrial District

  • dividing Mount Royal Parking lot into sections dedicated to vans/mini bus shuttles and sections for coach tour buses

  • removing personal vehicle pay parking from Mount Royal lot to expand coach tour bus and shuttle parking area

The Town of Banff will continue to consult with operators through the pilot study. Monitoring of traffic patterns in the Mount Royal parking lot will be recorded to help evaluate effectiveness of changes.

  • Mount Royal Bus / Shuttle Parking Pilot

    We are collecting feedback from Coach Tour Bus Operators and Commercial Shuttle Minibus / Van Operators about the changes to the bus parking at the Mount Royal parking lot managed by the Town of Banff. We are piloting changes to make it more efficient. Feedback will help with future decisions. We will adjust changes based on feedback and compile ideas for future changes. We will only publicly share survey results in aggregate form. We will not attribute any comments to any operator. No private or personal information will be shared with any third party. If you have questions about this survey or how it is being used, email the Town of Banff Director of Communications at communications@banff.ca or call 403-762-1207.

    Take Survey
    Share Mount Royal Bus / Shuttle Parking Pilot on Facebook Share Mount Royal Bus / Shuttle Parking Pilot on Twitter Share Mount Royal Bus / Shuttle Parking Pilot on Linkedin Email Mount Royal Bus / Shuttle Parking Pilot link
Page last updated: 15 Aug 2025, 06:48 PM