Redesign of Canmore's Railway Avenue could change how cars travel into town

Canmore's major artery, Railway Avenue, is due for an overhaul, but changes proposed by administrators aren't going over well with some residents. 

The road is considered the backbone of Canmore's transportation network, carrying 14,000 vehicles a day to nearby grocery stores, banks and the historic downtown. It's also considered the main gateway from the Trans-Canada Highway.

There are four lanes of vehicle traffic on Railway Avenue, two in each direction. But a proposal would reduce the road to three lanes, one lane of cars traveling each way, with the third lane in the middle used as a turning lane. 

Andy Esarte, manager of engineering services with the Town of Canmore, said this would allow the town to create a pedestrian and cycling gateway. Nearby, there are hotels and other accommodations, which are only about a 15-minute walk from downtown. 

"This project serves Canmore for the long term in a way that's consistent with our values," Esarte said. "A calm, safe corridor for all our residents and visitors to travel down … versus the quite hostile environment that it is now with a vehicle-centric focus."

He said Canmore is constrained and can't afford to widen its roads — a move that, he added, would create more traffic over time. Instead, the town is focused on a mode shift, to get some people walking or biking instead of driving around town in vehicles. 

The revamp would also include more protected intersections, similar to the one installed at Bow Valley Trail and Benchlands Trail in 2021 (it's the set of lights by the A&W).

Those signals fully separate those walking and biking from traffic, by signalling vehicles to turn left or right or go straight, instead of simply flashing a green light to have traffic move through the intersection. The lights are also set back from the intersection, in what's called a near-side signal — another safety measure. 

These different signals may have been a difficult adjustment, Esarte said, but they have proven to be much safer for those walking, cycling and in vehicles. 

"Since the changes were made, we've had no collisions that have been reported that have involved people walking and bicycling, and we've seen a reduction in both the frequency and severity of vehicle collisions," Esarte said.

"In the first year after the intersection was completed, the frequency of collisions declined by 58 per cent and collisions involving injuries declined 78 per cent." 

This is the second phase of the Railway Avenue project, which would incorporate needed underground utility work along that road. 

Engagement on this design has only begun, Esarte said. But some concerns from residents are already clear. He's heard worries about traffic flow, emergency vehicles and how the town will clear and store snow from the road. 

At the town's first open house in three years, the proposed design was a popular draw for residents, who had the chance to speak with Esarte and the team about the plans. 

And some used the opportunity to voice concerns. 

Traffic is one big worry, said resident Heather Peirce, noting the road already gets gummed up. She said reducing lanes would create more traffic and bottlenecks, especially when vehicles are sitting waiting for a train to cross. 

"That is our only route into town," Peirce said. "This is a town of older people. We are not riding bikes and we're all travelling that route and looking, and there aren't the people to utilize what they're trying to build, which is costing us a fortune."

As a business owner, Leslie Horsburgh said, her day consists of driving around town to take care of vacation homes. If she's sitting in traffic, that's time and money lost.

"We need to get the vehicles moving, and this one-way traffic up and down is right against our primary supermarkets, drugstore, banks," Horsburgh said. "So we need to get in and out to do our business."

These preliminary designs are not final. Feedback on the designs is welcome until Feb. 10.

Engineers will do some more work on traffic modelling before presenting an updated plan to the council this spring.

Construction, Esarte said, could start next year.