Lack of adequate funding for bike lanes to Canada’s most visited tourist destination
On January 23, 2023, the federal government announced welcome funding for upgrades to Lake Louise Road in Banff National Park after repeated requests over decades. The upgrades announced were to accommodate improvements for emergency response, transit infrastructure, private vehicles, and cyclists. However, funds allocated for this project are only half of what is needed to complete the full project scope due to lower initial estimates and increased material and labour costs. As a result, the Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay National Park (LLYK) Field Unit is going ahead with a narrower project scope that does not provide accommodation for active travel. The project will ease traffic congestion to a degree but will continue to prioritize motorized transport over active travel.
Options:
- Direct cyclists through the steep Tram line trail, which cuts through the Fairview wildlife corridor. For this to be permanent, an environmental assessment will have to be completed, and significant funds will have to be directed toward building this into a wider multi-use trail.
- Upgrade Lake Louise Road without provision for active travel. This will not encourage active travel and will thus fail to ease traffic congestion.
- Allocate an additional $12 million in funding to enable the desired project scope and develop an already disturbed corridor while building on the success that has already been achieved in the transportation shift.
Read our full briefing and let us know which option you think would offer the best visitor experience while balancing scarce funding and ecological considerations!