Canmore’s 2025 Transportation Numbers Show Walking Up 51% and Cycling Up 62%

More people are walking and biking in Canmore than ever before, a shift town officials say is taking pressure off congested roads and reshaping how residents move through the community. New transportation data from the Town of Canmore shows a sharp rise in active travel, with year-over-year increases that outpace growth in vehicle traffic and demonstrate the early results of long-term mobility planning.

Walking and Biking See Sharp Increase

During a town presentation on November 18, Manager of Engineering Zabrina Pendon reported that walking trips at the Benchlands Trail and Bow Valley Trail intersection rose 51% in 2025 compared with 2024. Cycling trips increased 62% over the same period. Transit use also climbed 13%, while vehicle traffic at the intersection increased just 2%.

Pendon said the town is on track to meet its long-standing goal of shifting 40% of local trips away from cars by 2030. She told councillors, "We are shifting the habits of the people of how people get around in Canmore and we are on track to reach our goal of 40% non car trips by 2030 up from 20% as our goal in 2018."

The mix of how people travel through the intersection has shifted steadily over the past three years. In 2022, 11% of all trips at the Benchlands Trail and Bow Valley Trail count station were made on foot or by bike. That number has climbed to 18.9% in 2025, a notable change in a community where road space is tight and visitor traffic continues to grow.

Transit Use and Safety Trends Improve

The surge in active travel mirrors growing ridership on Roam Transit, which is expanding service across the Bow Valley. Daily trips have grown from about 1,100 in 2022 to an expected 2,500 this year. Collision data is also trending downward. Pendon reported that annual collision numbers dropped from 130 in 2022 to 88 in 2024, a decline that occurred even as overall traffic volumes increased.

Town officials attribute these changes to a decade of investment in safer streets, transit expansion and infrastructure upgrades designed to make walking and cycling more practical. Pendon outlined a series of measures implemented since 2018, including simplified road classifications, rebuilt intersections, raised crosswalks, narrower driving lanes, and the adoption of design standards that require complete streets in new development areas.

Street Design Changes Support Mode Shift

Other changes include speed limit reductions to 30 kilometres per hour on local roads, increased access to public bike repair stations, expanded bike parking, and accessibility improvements such as ramped curbs, pathway paving, and better year-round lighting and maintenance.

The town has also expanded fare-free transit routes and implemented paid parking in the town center and popular tourist areas, with revenues reinvested into sustainable transportation initiatives.

Geography Limits Road Expansion

Despite these gains, Pendon said Canmore faces persistent structural challenges. The valley’s geography limits road expansion, with the Bow River, Policeman’s Creek, the Trans Canada Highway, and the rail line creating natural bottlenecks. With more people moving to the region and visitor volumes continuing to rise, congestion is expected to worsen if most trips continue to rely on private vehicles.

"The solution is to design streets so that more people can walk, bike, or take the bus," Pendon told council. She explained that increasing the share of non-car trips effectively increases the capacity of the transportation network without adding more asphalt.

Latent Demand Plays a Key Role

A key concept in the presentation was latent demand, which Pendon described as the unrealized potential for people to switch from driving to other modes when safe, attractive, and convenient alternatives are available. Improving sidewalks, bike routes, and transit frequency can reveal that demand by removing barriers and making sustainable transportation more appealing.

Updated Plan Will Guide Decisions Through 2040

Canmore’s Integrated Transportation Plan, first adopted in 2014 and last updated in 2018, guides how the town designs streets, sets speed limits and plans for walking, biking, transit and vehicle movement. The plan was created because Canmore’s geography limits road expansion, and it sets long-term goals such as increasing the share of trips made without a car and reducing collisions.

The updated plan, currently under development, will look ahead to the year 2040 and include extensive public engagement. The project began this past summer with traffic counts and a parking demand study timed to capture peak tourism activity. Consultants have been reviewing existing policies, technical studies and area structure plans, including new housing developments such as Smith Creek and Three Sisters Village, both of which are expected to increase travel demand in the coming years.

Council will participate in a December workshop to set priorities for the technical work. Two major rounds of community engagement are planned for 2026, one focused on identifying transportation needs and one on reviewing the draft plan before it is finalized.

Town Officials Say Early Trends Are Encouraging

For now, officials say the early trends suggest that past investments are working. With more residents choosing to walk, cycle or ride transit, the town may be gaining the capacity it needs to support future growth. Pendon noted that Canmore’s transportation strategy has always been shaped by its physical limits. As the town continues to grow, she said, the goal is not to eliminate congestion but to provide viable alternatives that allow more people to move efficiently through the valley.

"We are being purposeful about updating this forward looking strategic plan," she said. "Our community has experienced considerable changes since the 2018 Plan and this updated plan will help us reflect current values and guide decision making into the future."