Connect 2015

harnessing the sun The Town of Banff solar incentive program — supporting you to go solar

• New municipal solar support program, first of its kind in Canada • Lottery for 7-year production incentives starting in March; systems deployed as early as summer 2015 • $300,000 total investment from the Environmental Reserve

The program offers cost-based compensation to new solar photovoltaic energy producers, providing price certainty and long-term contracts that help finance renewable energy investments. Quarterly payments will be made by the Town, based on system production.

How it works Homeowners, condo associations, and commercial property owners can enter the lottery. Apply online at banff.ca/solar • 2015 incentive supported systems must be installed by year end • Approximately 7 year support to payback investment • Approximately 26 new solar PV systems will receive support over the course of the program • Solar PV systems can be installed on shared roofs (ex. condominiums)

Why Solar Power?

Alberta is a sunny place!

About 90% of Alberta’s electric power comes from fossil fuels and its associated greenhouse gas emissions

visit banff.ca/solar 100%

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2015-02-25 7:40 PM

green choices

• A community plan goal to be a model community in environmental management • Town policy to design & build new facilities smaller than 500 sq m using triple bottom line principles (environmental, financial, social) New Central Park washroom design, fixture, insulation choices meet these principles: • Solar PV panels to generate electricity to power the building’s lighting • Large windows let in natural light • Triple glazed window panes with layers of low-e coating (R 5.5 to 8) — reducing heat loss • LED up & down lights — reducing energy consumption • Waterless urinals — reducing water consumption Expected completion: June 2015

Natural Playground

New Washroom

In place of the old washroom building, look for the new Nature Play Area. Expected completion June 2015.

visit banff.ca/livegreen 100%

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2015-02-25 5:32 PM

feed the bin ecycling your food waste R benefits everyone.

Especially Mother Nature.

Sort and recycle your food waste. Here’s how:

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1 Scrape your plates and deposit your food waste into your household food waste bin. You don’t need to line the bin with plastic. If you do, use COMPOSTABLE plastic only.

Biodegradable is not compostable.

Make sure you use compostable bags Compostable bins are now available at Home Hardware (order online).

3 our good deed is done. From here Town of Banff Y empties all the residential food waste bins and brings the load to the Town’s N-Viro recycling plant, next to the wastewater treatment plant.

Here it’s turned into a soil amendment, which is then sold for sod cultivation and land reclamation.

The revenues generated from the sale of Banff N-Rich pay for the costs of installing the N-Viro system, reducing the burden on the taxpayer.

Deposit your bin of food scraps in the neighbourhood food waste bins. Only food waste in these bins.

If a load is contaminated by someone dumping something other than food waste in the food waste bin — including plastics (biodegradable plastic is not accepted), paper, cardboard, metal, crockery or trailer hitches, the entire load is landfilled, which costs the taxpayer, the town and the environment.

visit banff.ca/recycling 100%

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2015-03-02 4:55 PM

Housing — comfortable, affordable, available — is the essential ingredient. anff ’s economic prosperity relies on a strong, healthy B community and a high quality of life for all employees and their families who provide the services. They are interdependent. One cannot exist without the other.

The Community Housing Strategy was developed by a community task force with community-wide consultation. It contains 63 recommended actions to be completed over the next five years.

What’s success look like?

• A robust range of housing; socially, economically, demographically diverse neighbourhoods • Banffites understand appropriate housing benefits the entire community

Who’s responsible?

• We all are. We take a shared approach to solutions. And, when new solutions are needed, we are not afraid of change

We measure by: • The vacancy rate is a healthy 3 to 5% • At least 80% of those who work in Banff, live in Banff • 100% of Banff housing is occupied by people who meet Parks Canada “Need To Reside” requirements

2015 Initiatives

What’s this about a housing levy?

• To enhance transparency in the process, you will see a line on your annual tax invoice showing the portion of the tax you’re paying directed to community housing initiatives. This is so taxpayers know where their money is being spent.

• As with all municipal services, each year the amount will be approved by council during budget and tax rate approval.

• For 2015, the portion of the municipal property tax directed to community housing for the median residential taxpayer (assessed value of $535,000) will be approximately $7.

• A housing sustainability coordinator to oversee the implementation of the strategy • Work to acquire land for the development of housing • Have partnership development discussions with others in the community to develop residential units on their land • Engage with community and region on housing issues • Provide additional means of contributing money to the housing reserve — See Housing Reserve information • Provide information kit on landlord-tenancy matters • Begin process to develop rental housing on town-owned land

visit banff.ca/housing 100%

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2015-02-26 1:26 PM

Addressing Congestion Long Term Key findings from 2014 actions:

• The road system is at capacity when vehicle volume exceeds approx. 24,000 vpd* • Exceeded 24,000 vpd* 15 days in 2014, up from 9 days in 2013 • Visitation up 9.3% in July & August from 2013 • Short-term actions become less effective past 24,000 vpd* • Projected growth in visitation & Calgary population requires long-term solutions *vpd – vehicles per day, both entrances, both directions – used to indicate volume

Goal

• To plan transportation needs to accommodate increased visitation

2015 Initiatives Study the options of: • Move more vehicles: new road infrastructure and/or widen existing roads, other

• Move people with: intercept lots and increased bus transit, gondola transit, other

Assess each option: • Environmental footprint • Greenhouse gas emissions

• P3 (public-private partnership) opportunities

• Capacity and scalability

• Capital cost

visit banff.ca/transportationplan TOB_Traffic_Long_Board _24x42_02.15.indd 1

• Operating cost

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2015-03-02 2:39 PM

Parking Management What we’ve done so far: • Created 94 stalls within a 10 minute walk of downtown • Parking signage improvements: real-time capacity at Bear Street parkade, improved wayfinding signs • Created Banffparking.ca to find parking from a mobile device

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Town o f Banff, 110 Be Box 12 ar Stree 60, t Ph: 403 Banff, AB T1 L 1A1 .762.12 00 banff

• RV brochures distributed at campgrounds; increased communication • Built pedestrian bridge — 35% increase in river crossings

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• Designated Railway Ave, Elk St. (at Big Horn) as RV parking; removed RV parking from Central Park and Bow Avenue

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• Designated The Fenlands and rail station for visitor/commuter parking

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• Council-directed actions, stall creation & behaviour change reduces the shortfall from 125 to 31 Finding

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Key findings

• Parking occupancy never reached 100% within a 10-minute walk downtown

of 2014 User-Pay Parking Pilot

• D uring the paid parking trial vehicles parked downtown per day t 5% despite entrance counter volume s 7% Summary: Userpay parking effective in increasing parking stall availability for visitor parking; visitors found parking easily & parked in userpay lots; commuters & locals parked outside downtown core, in private stalls downtown, or took transit/walked/cycled

Goals

Bear Street parking lot before

after

• Shortfall likely to s with increase in visitation — predict 139 stalls in 5 years • In user-pay parking lots when paid parking was implemented: • Average occupancy t from 70% to 63% • Occupancy at 9 a.m. t by 30% • Average occupancy from 63% to 38% after Labour Day (entrance counter volumes t by 26%)

• To maximize the efficiency of the available parking downtown • To help visitors find a parking stall quickly • To increase stall availability & reduce congestion from circling motorists • To deter commuters from parking all day in prime downtown stalls designed for visitors

2015 Initiatives

Future Initiatives

• Enhanced enforcement of time violations on street and in lots

• Community vote once parking shortfall reaches 150 stalls or in 2017 (whichever soonest)

• Measure parking shortfall

• Long-term transportation study includes intercept lots

visit banff.ca/payparking 100%

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2015-03-02 4:55 PM

Addressing Congestion Short Term What we’ve done so far: • Optimized traffic signals • Green light override on south-north corridor during heavy congestion • Scramble crosswalks and timing changes • Flag persons at peak periods to control pedestrians at mid-block crosswalks • LED signs and 8 ft. static signs warning motorists to expect holiday traffic volume

My dog started me walking every day. Then I just kept at it. My husband too. We both walk all the time. You can walk anywhere in Banff, enjoy the scenery, clean air and the crisp, blue skies. — Sayoko Kagitani, Banff resident, Visitor Services Assistant, Whyte Meseum of the Canadian Rockies

banff.ca/gettingaround

• Public education directed at residents, commuters on active transportation (walking, cycling) • Regular emails of volume data, updates to stakeholders • Increased frequency of Roam transit to Sulphur Mountain on Labour Day weekend

Key findings from 2014 actions:

• Scramble crosswalks & signal time changes improved delay time for vehicle volumes up to 24,000 vpd* • Road network capacity pushed from 20,000 to 24,000 vpd* with changes • The road system is at capacity • 1.4 million vehicles at town entrance counters in July & August*; 9.3% from 2013 • 1.11 million two-way vehicle volume on Mountain Avenue in 2014 • 54 days (87%) over congestion threshold of 20,000 vpd* in July & August, up from 33 days in 2013 and 10 in 2012 • S ummer pedestrian counts average 3,000/hr at peak, 23% cross diagonally, jaywalking is reduced with scramble crosswalks *vpd – vehicles per day, both entrances, both directions – used to indicate volume

Goal

• To maximize traffic efficiency without building costly road infrastructure

2015 Initiatives • Traffic web cams — check volume before you go • Scramble crosswalks made permanent • Change direction of Bow Avenue one-way and parking • Real time monitoring and stakeholder updates during peak traffic periods • Increased promotion of active transportation — plan ahead & take transit, walk or cycle

visit banff.ca/transportationplan 100%

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2015-03-02 4:52 PM

Trails Master Plan Why a Master Plan?

• Increased emphasis on active transportation, to lessen summer vehicle congestion and parking demands — Transportation Master Plan • Public consultation showed trails are the most popular recreational facility • Last Trails and Open Space Study 1992

Goals Key findings

• Encourage active commuting, particularly during summer months • Improve connectivity, particularly to key destinations • Improve visitor experience • Formalize trail use regulations, trail type classifications, and designated uses • Trail use highest in August, except for Banff Centre trail (highest use in November) • Bow River from Banff Avenue bridge east to pedestrian bridge most used trail • Banff Centre/St. Julien Way consistent use by commuters • Survey respondents say exercise, recreation and nature top reasons to use trails • Weather, lack of winter maintenance, lack of lighting top barriers to trail use — survey results

Recommended actions include: • Upgrade existing trails/on-road routes, such as to Bow Falls, St. Julien, Middle Springs

2015 Initiatives • Legacy Trail east entrance — improve connectivity to downtown • Plan St. Julien road side improvements to Banff Centre • Resurface trail from canoe docks to Legacy Trail west • New trails kiosk maps

Examples of two-way cycling lane

Examples of on-road separated bike greenways

Examples of separated two-way cycling lane with planters

visit banff.ca/recplan 100%

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2015-02-26 2:38 PM

unplug and connect

A lack of “community connections” was identified as a challenge in the Banff Community Social Assessment. Look for more opportunities to connect to your fellow citizens in 2015.

Why is Social Connection Important?

• The quantity and quality of your social connections has a direct effect on your well-being and personal happiness

• The more social contact you have, the greater your chance of living healthier, and living longer • Loneliness is linked to depression, anxiety, increased vulnerability to health problems, and suicide

Facebook is not a replacement for face-to-face Studies show that: • social media use can undermine well-being and increase loneliness • the more time people spent on social media, the less happy they felt over time • “The irony is that technology celebrates connectedness, but encourages retreat”

Ways to develop more meaningful social connections: • Join a club. Pick up the Bow Valley Resource Directory or check it out online at banff.ca/communityresources

• Volunteer opportunities listed on banff.ca/volunteer • Participate in a community class or community events. Check banff.ca/mycalendar • Connect with family and friends, whether near or far. Go for coffee, plan a reunion, make a lunch date

• Make new friends because you can never have too many. Hold a block party, attend a social, strike up a conversation with your seatmate on Roam

visit banff.ca/heretohelp 100%

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2015-02-25 4:07 PM

are you attracting bears to your home?

Being a national park resident comes with responsibilities, especially to the wildlife that shares the land.

The Town of Banff and Parks Canada are working together to protect our urban forest, but reduce and eliminate wildlife attractants within the townsite. Bears are driven by food. They are intelligent, resourceful and learn fast. They have a keen sense of smell. They will take every opportunity to gain access to food sources and once they discover a food source, they will return again and again. Sows will teach their cubs to access it.

What’s in your backyard?

If you have fruit trees or shrubs in your yard, please consider replacing them • Fruit-bearing trees and shrubs attract bears • It’s not enough to pick fruit off the ground — bears climb into trees in search of ripening fruit • Bears will dig up roots and corms of some members of the pea and lily family Bear attractant: Crabapples, Plums, Chokecherry, Pincherry, Red Osier Dogwood, Mountain Ash, Saskatoon berries, Elderberry, Soapberry/Buffaloberry Preferred native deciduous and coniferous trees Mountain Maple / Douglas Maple (Acer glabrum)

Western Larch (Larix occidentalis )

Paper Birch / White Birch (Betula papyrifera)

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Trembling Aspen / Quaking Aspen

Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia)

(Populus tremuloides)

Rocky Mt. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

visit banff.ca/plants 100%

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2015-02-26 1:36 PM