Banff, AB rejects plan to go car-free in its downtown
The release showing the unofficial results showed 2,523 votes cast with 1,194 voting 'yes' as opposed to 1,328 who voted 'no.' One ballot was considered spoiled.
Residents of Banff, Alberta have voted “no” on whether or not the town should create a pedestrian zone on Banff Avenue each summer moving forward.
The town released the results of the vote on Monday, showing that 52.6 percent of residents were against the proposal, reports CityNews.
The release showing the unofficial results showed 2,523 votes cast with 1,194 voting “yes” as opposed to 1,328 who voted “no.” One ballot was considered spoiled.
“Because the results are no, according to provincial law, council must pass a bylaw to rescind their original decision to have an annual summer Pedestrian Zone,” reads the release. “The pedestrian zone public amenities will be dismantled starting in the days immediately after the bylaw is passed, including removal of extra public seating, bicycle parking and flower planters.”
The removal of pedestrian zone features will see the dismantling of restaurant patios and retail displays. Traffic light signal timing will also be adjusted to align with lights on Spray Avenue, the release says.
Vancouver’s car-free experiment a 'disaster' for businesses
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 1, 2024
'We’re experiencing volume – outside of COVID – that we haven’t experienced in our 54 years of operating in Gastown.'https://t.co/JhsnCZ1nbX
Voters were provided with a straightforward yes-or-no question: Do you support Banff Town Council’s decision to have a downtown pedestrian zone on Banff Avenue every summer, from the May Long Weekend to the Thanksgiving Long Weekend?’
To participate, individuals needed to be residents of Banff at the time of the vote, Canadian citizens, and at least 18 years old.
Three advance votes were held last month.
The failed vote for pedestrianization comes as other cities try similar car-free initiatives. Vancouver, for example, experimented this summer with a car-free pilot in Gastown.
Local businesses say, though, that the initiative is hurting their profits.
Peter Buckley, CEO of the Old Spaghetti Factory, says that this time of year is typically the busiest, but that turnout has been low due to the pedestrianization project.
PETITION: No Green Reset:
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 28, 2022
Globalists are propagating a green reset by manipulating us to transition from fossil fuels to "green energy." This shift is unneeded, unwanted, and unacceptable — if you agree, sign this petition.https://t.co/PHR7jF0lJM.
Ian Tostenson of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association called the move a “disaster,” adding that sales have dropped by around 30 percent.
Wally Wargolet with the Gastown Business Improvement Society says that over 30 businesses have complained, saying that they are feeling “a negative crunch here from an economic perspective.”
“For the first time ever, some restaurants are laying people off at the height of the summer season,” he told Global News.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.