Banff residents vote to do away with downtown pedestrian zone

It's been a contentious debate – whether to keep Banff's downtown pedestrian zone – and residents voted Monday night to do away with it.

Residents were asked whether they support closing a section of Banff Avenue to vehicle traffic between May and October.

Of 2,523 votes cast, 1,328 ballots were marked with "no."

In January, council voted to make it a permanent change during the busy tourist season but a petition prompted the town to put the decision to voters.

As a result of this vote, later this month, Banff town council will meet to pass a bylaw to rescind the original decision.

The town had said if the pedestrian zone was rejected, it would expect traffic to be flowing through downtown by September.

The vote is seen as a blow to businesses but a win for nearby residents who were fed up with congestion from diverted traffic.