• Create a framework for an integrated, innovative multi-modal mobility model to address the environmental and visitor experience impact of vehicles on the town and park. This new model will contribute to both greater ecological integrity and visitor experiences inspired by leading, “best-in-class” environmentally sustainable communities and national parks like Zermatt, Switzerland and Zion National Park, Utah. Develop a “Best Practices Per Visitor” system by following the “Lower Each Visitor Environmental Footprint” (LEVEF) sustainability model while enhancing the visitor experience.
• Provide seamless transit alternatives, so that once visitors arrive, whether by personal vehicle or train, they do not need personal vehicles to move throughout the destination.
• Increase visitor safety, particularly during the winter months, through mass transit offerings.
• Enhance the pedestrian experience by returning the Banff Railway Lands to its historic role as the national park’s arrival centre and transit hub.
• Develop a central and sustainable beginning point for visitors’ national park experience – the effective gateway to Banff National Park – “Banff Starts Here”.
• Develop opportunities to encourage visitors to walk, cycle, take shuttles, and mass transit to visit points of interest in and around the townsite and Park.
• Create a national model to showcase innovative, environmentally friendly mass transit.
• Allow vehicular tourism to be replaced with active and mass transit.
• Construct innovative, ecologically-friendly, adaptable, and scalable transportation options including:
  • Intercept Parking
    • Intercept parking for approximately 1,060 vehicles: 410 new stalls in North Arrival Lot located just north of the tracks (integrated into existing 170-stall Fenlands Recreation Centre lot), 490 existing stalls in South Arrival Lot south of tracks
    • Approximately 280 stalls and 660 for summertime and wintertime ARP demand respectively, providing approximately 620 and 240 summer time and winter time intercept stalls available for free for Town and Park visitors with potential to add further 300 stalls within designated parking footprint (and maintain 5.2 ha Norquay Conservation Area)
    • Intercept parking allows the Town of Banff and Parks Canada the option to develop comprehensive “Best Practices Per Visitor” (decrease the per visitor environmental footprint and enhance the visitor experience) vehicle management systems such as paid parking to decrease congestion in town and, in combination with shuttle services, visitor impact on wildlife across the park.
    • Centralized intercept parking supports the option of shuttle-only service to points of interest, which creates the opportunity to reclaim personal vehicle parking lots adjacent to the points of interest.
  • Shuttle Centre
    • Located on north side of tracks at the new 410-stall intercept lot, this will initially have four bus parking bays but can be expanded within the same designated Shuttle Centre footprint.
    • Connected to south side by an improved pedestrian level crossing at Mt Norquay Rd and potential pedestrian bridge across tracks.
  • Visitors Services to Support Potential Passenger Rail from Calgary International Airport to Banff
    • Visitor services transit and buildings support the option of future passenger rail system from Calgary International Airport.
    • Calgary Airport Banff Rail (CABR) system would run on a dedicated line to ensure dependable service and allow high frequency schedule.
    • Potential for alternative energy driven train system, in particular hydrogen-powered locomotives.
    • CABR system requires an integrated transit terminus in Banff to be successful so that once passengers arrive in Banff they do not require a personal vehicle to move through the destination.
  • Micro Transit Pavilion
    • Pavilion will provide diverse mobility options, including self-propelled and micro-transit rental options (i.e., bicycles, strollers, wheelchairs, and electric scooters as well as bike storage).
    • E-transit micro-mobility, such as electric scooters, has potential to reduce fossil fuel consumption and accelerate emissions reductions and reduce congestion that electric vehicles do not.
  • Visitor Services and Cultural Institutions Pavilion
    • Visitor Services component will provide support services to facilitate vehicle-free movement through the town and park.
    • Traveler services include tour companies, shuttle service options, hotel baggage services, and “Grab ‘N’ Go” refreshments for shuttle riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

*Names to be confirmed through further Indigenous consultation

• Enhance the Fenland Indian Grounds Wildlife Corridors and biodiversity habitat north of the tracks within the Plan Area from its existing condition of being a fragmented and partial brownfield site. Steps to enhance wildlife movement and habitat include:
  • Improve Primary Fenland Indian Grounds Wildlife Corridor (runs east-west between the Fenlands Recreation Centre and the TransCanada Highway) by extending the Sand Dune south.
• Guide animal travel on the east side in the Plan Area around the Recreation Centre by extending the berm south about 20 metres and utilizing vegetation to further enhance the landform acting as a natural constraint to movement.
• Improve Secondary Fenland Indian Grounds Wildlife Corridor (runs east-west between the Fenlands Recreation Centre and the CP Rail tracks)
  • Remove barriers bisecting the area, including nonpermeable wildlife fences and CP Rail buildings and Railway works materials and install a wildlife permeable fence along the southern perimeter adjacent to the tracks.
  • Minimize the impact of the additional parking by creating high density tree pods and screening from Mt Norquay Road.
  • Enhance both corridors by increasing the ease of wildlife movement and permeability in the Plan Area by clearing natural and legacy debris under the forest canopy.
• Enhance the Fenland Indian Grounds Corridor
  • Restore wildlife habitat east of the Sand Dune, approximately 5.2 ha or almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the Plan Area north of the tracks, (the “Norquay Conservation Area”), which is the highest value habitat given it is a contiguous part of the corridor, and is situated furthest from the high human use area of Mt Norquay Road and the Fenlands Recreation Centre.
  • This will be the largest parcel ever conserved and rehabilitated by a private operator in the history of the Town of Banff and be five times larger than the new 410-stall intercept lot
  • Achieve a net reduction in the disturbed area by restoring and reforesting within the preserved and rehabilitated area the approximately 0.5 ha that are either currently occupied by the working CPKC Rail yard or treeless on the site of former United Dairies farm or have been cleared by Fortis to construct power lines. Since the new 410-stall lot will occupy approximately 2.3 ha (requiring the removal of 1.7 ha of currently forested area), the restored and conserved habitat to new disturbance ratio will be approximately 4 to 1.
  • Opportunity to further enhance the Fenland Indian Grounds Wildlife Corridors north of the tracks outside of the Plan Area
    • For future consideration, building upon enhancements to the corridor within the Plan Area, there is the opportunity with partners for further restoration of the primary corridor outside of the Plan Area in the area between the Fenlands Recreation Centre and TransCanada Highway.
    • Area is currently bisected by Mt Norquay Road and fragmented by the Fenlands Trail Parking Lot (25 stalls).
    • Removing and restoring the Fenlands Trail Parking Lot possible by relocating the 25 stalls to the new North Arrival lot.
    • Creating a wildlife crossing of Mt Norquay Road between Forty Mile Creek and the TransCanada Highway was identified as an enhancement to the Fenland Indian Grounds Wildlife Corridor almost 25 years ago (Duke et al, 1998)
    • A box culvert wildlife underpass just north of Forty Mile Creek is likely the most effective wildlife crossing structure (McGuire, 2021).
    • Removing and restoring the Fenlands Trail Parking Lot and creating a wildlife underpass north of Forty Mile Creek would increase wildlife movement at corridor scale and larger regional Bow Valley corridor networks (Clevenger et al., 2021).

• Develop the area as a destination for four million visitors within an arrivals/reception/services centre that includes dining when arriving or waiting to depart.
• Transform the Train Station to supplement Banff’s existing social and special event spaces.
• Celebrate Rocky Mountain Park railway heritage and Indigenous heritage, contribution, and connections.
• Contain development within the legislated growth cap on commercial development for the Town of Banff framework (Railway Lands commercial square footage less than 3% of existing commercial retail and accommodation square footage in Town).
  • Heritage station
    • Principal components include:
      • Railway Heritage District – Historic Cultural Exhibits with Food and Beverage Destinations situated in park-like setting to celebrate historic Queen’s Willows.
      • Partnership with CPKC to preserve buildings that celebrate the railway’s pivotal role in the early development of the Rocky Mountain Parks.
      • Of the 11 buildings in the ARP, six are original Rocky Mountain Park buildings and three are reimagined buildings in the same shape and size as the originals. Collectively, these buildings on average date from more than 100 years ago.
      • Together with the Banff Station Master’s House and Banff Ice-House the structures will form a five-building precinct along the south side of Railway Avenue. Each restored building with curated exhibitions and artifacts tracing CP Rail’s history in the development of Banff National Park with ancillary food and beverage services.
      • Adjacent to historic steam engine and rolling stock.
    • Rolling stock and steam locomotive
      • For celebrating and interpreting the Dominion Train heritage.
    • Historic Ticket Booths
      • Will flank the train platform entrance for information services from Parks Canada and Banff Lake Louise Tourism.
    • Plaza and Amphitheatre Community Hub
      • Wohengitha* (Stoney for “story telling”) Amphitheatre is a 300-seat venue adjacent to restored CP Rail Gardens
        • Designed for everyday use and large gatherings.
      • En Barhe Îchiyabi* (Stoney for “the Place of Gathering”) Plaza  is a sheltered square encompassing the outdoor public space.
    • In front of the Train Station, which the Wohengitha Amphitheatre will animate
    • Congestion-free gathering place for festivals, concerts, First Nations culture, and special events.
      • First major public amenity in Banff since Cave and Basin pool opened in 1914 (closed in 1994).
    • Visitor Services and Cultural Institutions Pavilion complementing the character of the Station Baggage Area and facing the En Barhe Îchiyabi Plaza
      • Cultural Institutions component will include small satellite locations including the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to showcase and promote current exhibitions on main campuses.
      • Residential District
        • Medium density residential serves as a transition from adjacent lower density residential neighbourhood to the south to the principal commercial district.
        • Supports residential expansion to provide housing to Railway Lands workers.

*All names to be confirmed through further Indigenous consultation