Banff residents head to the polls over pedestrian zone

Banff residents will vote in a plebiscite on Monday to determine if a pedestrian zone on Banff Avenue should continue between the May long weekend and the Thanksgiving long weekend.

The polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The result of the vote will be binding.

Since the summer of 2020, the mountain town has closed a section on Banff Avenue to vehicles so people can safely enjoy the street full of shops and restaurants.

However, not everyone likes the concept.

A petition to stop the pedestrian zone was submitted in May, with over 1,000 valid signatures. That is close to one-quarter of Banff's eligible voters.

Those against the closure of the main artery say it causes an increase in residential street traffic.

In the end, the town decided to put the decision to a vote.

A Town of Banff spokesperson tells CTV News if residents choose to keep the street closure, nothing will change.

If it is rejected, council will meet at the end of August to pass a new bylaw rescinding the street closure and re-opening the street to vehicle traffic by mid-September.

- With files from Kevin Green