The Town of Banff has installed a fix-it bike station in Central Park as a small part of a big plan to make it easier to get around the tourist town without a vehicle.
The bike station includes all the tools necessary to do basic repairs and maintenance on bikes, from changing a flat tire to adjusting brakes and derailleurs. Tools and an air pump are securely attached to a stand with stainless steel cables and tamper-proof fasteners.
Officials say hanging the bike from the hanger arms allows the pedals and wheels to spin freely while making adjustments. For help with repairs, riders can use the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the station to view detailed instructions on your smart phone.
“It’s another way to encourage people to use more active transportation in the summer,” said Chad Townsend, the Town of Banff’s environmental services co-ordinator.
“It’s just one more piece in the puzzle to break down barriers for locals to be active in commuting in the key summer months and it’s also a piece of amenity infrastructure for visitors.”
Banff is home to about 8,200 residents for most of the year, but the daily population swells to up to 25,000 people in busy times, forcing RVs, buses and cars to jockey for limited parking spaces.
Studies show Banff’s 1,400 on-street and off-street parking stalls are about 125 shy of what’s currently needed, and the shortfall will only get worse as the regional tourist market from Calgary and surrounding region continues to expand.
The Town of Banff is considering several ways to fix traffic and parking problems, including a big push on residents to use more active modes to transportation to get around such as walking, biking or catching the public bus.
Council has backed away from paid parking throughout the downtown core for now, but is investigating whether or not to implement limited paid parking on a trial basis in up to three parking lots in Banff.
They are also looking at beefing up parking enforcement.
Council has set goals for parking improvement strategies in the downtown area, including increasing use of alternative modes of transportation; that prime downtown parking stalls are for primarily for visitors during busy times; visitor’s transportation choices are more limited than locals in the town of Banff and that on-street and surface lot parking in the downtown core should be considered a premium location and targeted for high-turnover use.
Townsend said the Town of Canmore has fix-it bike stations and he hopes the one at Central Park may be the first of more to come. The price tag for a bike station is about $1,000.
“The one at Central Park will be a test for usefulness and durability,” he said. “We look forward to getting feedback from people.”
