Banff Launches Resident Car Share Program To Reduce Need For Car Ownership

For decades, the math in Banff has been simple: more housing meant more parking.

But with the town boxed in by national park boundaries, land at a premium and housing shortages continuing to squeeze residents, municipal leaders are increasingly betting on a different equation.

On Thursday, Banff officially launched a new car-sharing service reserved for residents, offering access to five Communauto vehicles stationed throughout town. While the program gives residents another transportation option, town officials say the broader goal is helping people live in Banff without needing to own a vehicle.

"The problem is affordability and space," said Town of Banff communications director Jason Darrah.

The service launches as Banff continues a wider effort to reduce reliance on private vehicles through investments in transit, cycling infrastructure and transportation alternatives. In recent years, the town has removed minimum parking requirements for new housing developments, introduced an e-bike rebate program that has helped fund more than 800 bikes and expanded support for active transportation.

Officials argue those policies are necessary in a community where land is limited and housing remains scarce.

For years, homeowners looking to add basement suites or garage apartments faced a significant hurdle: finding room for additional parking stalls. Darrah said parking requirements were frequently the biggest obstacle to adding housing.

"Town council removed that and we are adding many homes - 700 in the pipeline," he said.

At the launch, Mayor Corrie DiManno said the new car-share program is intended to help fill the transportation gap created by those changes.

Residents who live in homes with limited or no parking can access a vehicle when needed for errands, trips to Calgary, outdoor recreation or destinations not served by Roam Transit.

"Our goal is to help residents live here without needing to own a car, but to be able to take advantage of the benefits of a car when they need to," Darrah said.

The service is designed to provide access to a vehicle without many of the costs associated with ownership. Fuel, maintenance and repairs are included in the booking rates, allowing members to pay only for the time and distance they use. Residents do not need to refuel vehicles at the end of each trip.

Five vehicles will be stationed at three locations throughout Banff:

• Bear Street Parkade (two vehicles)

• Beaver Street near Banff Community High School (two vehicles)

• Cougar Street and Fox Street (one vehicle)

The initial fleet consists of four compact cars and one minivan.

A Long Road To Launch

The idea has been under discussion for years.

In early 2023, Banff and Canmore jointly issued a request for information to determine whether car-share companies would be interested in operating in smaller mountain communities. Interest was limited.

Later that year, Banff council approved spending $20,000 from visitor paid-parking revenues on a feasibility study examining whether a larger community-wide service could work.

The proposal gained momentum after a 2024 public survey found 77% of respondents supported a car-share program, while only 13% opposed the idea.

Council ultimately approved pursuing a three-year pilot program in August 2025, although the decision was not unanimous. Councillors Hugh Pettigrew and Grant Christensen opposed both the initial study and the eventual pilot, making them the project's most consistent skeptics.

Among the concerns raised during council discussions were whether a small number of users could monopolize the vehicles and whether the service would compete with existing rental car businesses.

Administration argued the program serves a different purpose than traditional rentals by providing residents with short-term, predictable access to vehicles without the costs of ownership.

Who Pays?

The pilot is funded through Banff's visitor paid-parking reserve rather than property taxes.

Under the agreement, the Town is providing a revenue guarantee of up to $75,000 annually for three years if user fees fail to generate enough revenue to meet Communauto's operating targets.

Municipal officials say they hope the subsidy declines as membership grows.

"We are hopeful the Town's contribution will drop to 0 before the third year," Darrah said.

An additional $25,000 has been budgeted for marketing over the life of the pilot.

The financial guarantee was considered necessary to attract a provider to a community Banff's size. Municipal staff previously told council that similar arrangements have been used elsewhere to help establish car-share services in smaller markets.

Testing A Different Transportation Model

The launch comes as Banff residents are already driving less than most Albertans.

According to the town's 2025 resident survey, only 18% of residents identified a personal vehicle as their primary mode of transportation during the summer months. That figure rises during winter, but walking, cycling and transit continue to account for a significant share of local trips.

The town hopes the new service will further reduce the need for private vehicle ownership.

Officials point to the success of Banff's e-bike rebate program, which has funded 826 e-bike purchases since launching in 2022, as evidence residents are willing to adopt alternatives when they are affordable and practical.

Whether the same will prove true for car sharing remains to be seen.

The service officially launched June 18, but residents must first register, verify their identity and complete a driving-record check before gaining access to vehicles.

The program also offers several membership options ranging from a free plan with higher usage fees to monthly subscription plans that reduce hourly and distance-based costs. Pricing varies depending on trip length, distance travelled and membership level.

Town officials say the pilot will be evaluated annually, with vehicle usage, membership growth, vehicle types and station locations all subject to review.

The ultimate measure of success, however, may be much broader than the number of bookings.

Banff has spent years trying to answer a difficult question: how can a community with limited land continue adding housing without adding parking?

The new car-share program is the latest attempt to find out.