Banff's entrance sign could be moved because of safety concerns
It’s become a mandatory stop-of-sorts for anyone heading into Banff.
Alberta’s world-renowned mountain town has its name in human-sized letters in the form of a sign at the entry point on Mount Norquay Road.
But as popular as the sign is, problems regarding traffic and pedestrian safety have resurfaced because of its placement, and it might be relocated.
“The safety concern is that people have to cross a main arterial road between the highway and town, using a crosswalk between the parking lot and the sign,” the Town of Banff said in a statement sent to Daily Hive Urbanized.
“The risk was reduced when we made the road 30 km/h but there is still some concern due to the cross walk on Norquay Road.”
According to the Town, it hasn’t been made aware of collisions or incidents related to the Banff sign.
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The idea of moving the sign, as well as putting forward ideas to implement measures to improve the area and the roadway to make it safer, has been floated around over the years.
The most recent development, however, could see the climbable attraction relocated entirely.
Between 2017, when it was first implemented, and 2019, measures were put in place in an attempt to improve and manage visitor impacts at the sign.
Those included changes to the location and other traffic-slowing and calming initiatives.
Changes to the pedestrian crossing were also made at the time.
In 2020, the town council struck down an idea to relocate the sign somewhere inside, or closer to, Banff’s centre.
Changes to layouts were undertaken between 2021 and 2022, with enhancements coordinated within the “Traffic-calmed entrances to Town” capital project.
The same layout continued in 2023 as it was determined that no further enhancements were needed at this time, according to the Town of Banff.
But it’s the idea of relocation that has come up again.
Where, or if, it moves remains the big question.
The council requested a report as part of the 2024 Service Review on the relocation of the Banff sign to come back no later than than Q3 of this year that would include costs for the options and recommendations.
Suggestions have included Banff’s Central Park on Bear Street and more pedestrian-friendly areas within the town itself, and the Banff Train Station.
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