Banff Parking Proposal

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Consultation has concluded

The Town of Banff has concluded the consultation on the proposed parking plan.

Thank you to the residents who participated over two phases of consultation in 2019 and 2020, providing over 1,100 submissions with more than 45,000 comments on the elements of the proposals.

Banff Town Council has directed administration to implement Visitor-Pay Parking and the Resident Permit System in spring 2021, based on the revised plan developed with public consultation.

Parking challenges, traffic congestion, the cost to local property taxpayers, and the environmental impact associated with the millions of visitors who come to Banff by car every year continues to affect us all.

As a town limited to 4-square-kilometres in size, Banff will see parking and traffic issues increase. This plan helps protect parking spaces for residents, while increasing the availability of parking spaces in the busy downtown.

The plan has 4 elements:

  • Free parking permits for residents living on downtown residential streets
  • Visitor-pay parking in the downtown core
  • Free 3-hour parking in the paid area for residents who register their vehicles with the Town
  • Free, 9-hour parking for visitors and commuters in the Bear Street Parkade upper 3 levels, on Bow Avenue parking and in the 500-stall Train Station Public Parking Lot.

Please review the What We Heard Reports and the Revised Draft Parking Plan - Phase 2 in the Document Library and visit Banff.ca/Parking for details on the implementation in 2021.


The Town of Banff has concluded the consultation on the proposed parking plan.

Thank you to the residents who participated over two phases of consultation in 2019 and 2020, providing over 1,100 submissions with more than 45,000 comments on the elements of the proposals.

Banff Town Council has directed administration to implement Visitor-Pay Parking and the Resident Permit System in spring 2021, based on the revised plan developed with public consultation.

Parking challenges, traffic congestion, the cost to local property taxpayers, and the environmental impact associated with the millions of visitors who come to Banff by car every year continues to affect us all.

As a town limited to 4-square-kilometres in size, Banff will see parking and traffic issues increase. This plan helps protect parking spaces for residents, while increasing the availability of parking spaces in the busy downtown.

The plan has 4 elements:

  • Free parking permits for residents living on downtown residential streets
  • Visitor-pay parking in the downtown core
  • Free 3-hour parking in the paid area for residents who register their vehicles with the Town
  • Free, 9-hour parking for visitors and commuters in the Bear Street Parkade upper 3 levels, on Bow Avenue parking and in the 500-stall Train Station Public Parking Lot.

Please review the What We Heard Reports and the Revised Draft Parking Plan - Phase 2 in the Document Library and visit Banff.ca/Parking for details on the implementation in 2021.


CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

Please ask a question about the proposed parking plan and our project team will provide a response. Your question will be published at the same time we respond.


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    As a potential visitor to Banff can someone provide me with details on disabled parking within this plan. Is there any additional provision for disabled parking spaces? Will parking costs for disabled visitors be the same as other users (despite disabled people of necessity needing longer to get about)?

    SairNuts asked over 1 year ago


    The town has a number of accessible (disabled) parking stalls in town and is adding more, regardless of whether this proposed plan goes ahead. In the revised proposal, accessible parking is free for three hours.


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    Why did we close the free parking at the train station This seems counter productive to the whole process

    Geo asked over 1 year ago

    The Town of Banff opened the Train Station Public Parking lot as a way to help alleviate parking problems in the town, which are experienced almost entirely in the summer. The lot was closed in the winter because tax-funded snow clearing is expensive, and the lot is not necessary in winter due to reduced parking pressures. However, we learned that when Banff & Lake Louise Tourism held the 2019 Santa Claus Parade, which occurred on the same day as the Christmas Market and a Christmas celebration at the Sulphur Mountain Gondola, there were enough vehicles in town to warrant opening the Train Station Parking lot in winter. We opened the lot for the 2019 Banff Centre Film & Book Festival, and required a bus shuttle service. We will open the lot for major events that fund snow clearing. 

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    Will the train station lot be open to commuters all year? Proposal implies that it will be but previous answer suggests it will only be open during certain special events during the winter.

    Ben asked over 1 year ago


    The Train Station Parking lot was constructed by Liricon, which leases the land from CP Rail. They also lease the Train Station building. Last summer, the Town of Banff signed an agreement for the Town to operate the parking lot, as a way to help alleviate the parking challenges that Banff experiences in the summer months. Banff has a parking shortage in summer due to high visitation in June, July and August, but there are adequate parking spaces for visitors in the remaining months. The agreement between the Town and Liricon runs through 2020 with the opportunity to renew for future years.

    The Town plans to close the Train Station Parking Lot in winter because every time it snows, tax dollars are required to clear the snow and manage ice, at a time when the need for extra parking is not high. The Town will open the lot if there are large events elsewhere in town that take up parking spaces, if the event organizer provides funding for snow clearing. The Town will evaluate the decision to close the Train Station Public Parking lot in future years and negotiate with the owner the possibility of opening in winter months.