Banff's town council has approved a three-year car-share pilot program, to start in spring 2026. The program will launch with at least five vehicles and include at least two locations.
Banff's town council has approved a three-year car-share pilot program, to start in spring 2026. The program will launch with at least five vehicles and include at least two locations.Banff residents looking to ditch their car will soon have another option.
The three-year car-sharing pilot program will start in spring 2026, after town council approved it at their meeting on Monday. The program will launch with at least five vehicles and include at least two locations."This is a great solution for Banff.… This will make life easier for people that they can live without the burden of car ownership," she said. "We know it is expensive to own cars and we know we have a really high cost of living. I see this as a best of both worlds to use a car when you need it without having to bear the cost of that year-round." The program is budgeted at $230,000 through 2028, but will be funded from the town's paid parking reserve. The annual budget per vehicle is $15,000, but the program will include a charge for people using the cars, meaning some costs will be covered., she said that with the exception of one year, she and her partner have only had one vehicle for their family of four. She wrote that it's both a financial and environmental choice to have one vehicle and they use public transit and e-bikes, and juggle their schedules as best as possible. When they need a second vehicle, she said a car-sharing program would help. "A car-share program would be the answer we're looking for. Not only for when our schedules conflict, but in general by reducing our need to juggle so much on an ongoing basis," Ward wrote.Philipp Leberer, the Town of Banff's energy co-ordinator, told council the program will support the municipality's affordability and transportation goals, reduce reliance on private vehicles, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and lessen traffic congestion and parking demands. "Owning a vehicle is very expensive. I think most people are not aware of how much they spend on their vehicle because it's kind of a must-have in most communities in Canada," he said. Traffic congestion and parking availability are issues of concern in Banff, a popular tourism destination. The town conducted an online survey to gauge interest from respondents, which received 506 responses. Of those, 77 per cent expressed interest in a car-sharing program, a report to council said. According to statistics from the Alberta government's regional dashboard, there are 0.61 cars per Banff resident. That is on par with Edmonton and Calgary, which have 0.61 and 0.66 cars per capita, respectively. As part of Banff land use zoning changes last year, parking requirements were removed. Leberer said the pilot car-sharing program could assist in lowering a possible increase in more parking demand. The town also has an e-bike rebate program and public transit is free for residents in the town site, a program funded by the paid parking reserve. The mayor said the program could aid residents who choose to not own a vehicle, but still need access to one without having to use a rental."I think this is one of those situations where if you build it, they will come and drive. I see this as a boost to the quality of life in Banff."Heavily photographed 'Banff' sign to move from side of road to town's historic train station
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