Canmore Wants 40% Car-Free Trips by 2030. It’s at 25%

As more people visit and move to Canmore, the town’s transportation system is shifting. Collisions are down. Transit use is rising. But most trips are still made by car, and officials say that will remain a challenge as the community grows.

At a recent public webinar, Zabrina Pendon, Manager of Engineering for the Town of Canmore, walked through what has improved in Canmore’s transportation system and what still needs to happen.

The data shows both progress and limitations.

Car use still accounts for about 75% of trips in 2025, down from roughly 80% in 2018. At the same time, other parts of the system are growing quickly.

Local transit ridership has increased significantly, reaching 2,179 daily trips in 2025, up from about 400 daily trips in 2018.

Walking and cycling are also becoming more common. The town recorded more than 1.9 million trips by foot along Spring Creek Drive and Bow Valley Trail in 2025, and about 16% of trips at key intersections were made by walking or biking.

A town with limited room to grow

The challenge facing Canmore is rooted in geography.

Pendon said the town’s transportation network is constrained by natural and built features, including rivers, rail infrastructure, and highways, which limit opportunities to expand roads.

“That means developing progressive policy and forward-thinking planning documents that support active transportation infrastructure and initiatives,” she said.

Instead of focusing on expanding road capacity, the town is aiming to move more people through the same space by shifting how they travel.

“Designing our streets so that more people can walk, bike, or take the bus increases system capacity without needing more space,” Pendon said.

Progress, but still short of the goal

Despite those gains, the town remains well below its long-term target.

The current plan aims for 40% of trips to be made by walking, biking or transit by 2030. As of 2025, that number sits closer to 25%.

Pendon said achieving that shift depends on changing how people choose to travel.

“Sustainable transportation and achieving a shift in how people choose to travel depends on an important concept called latent demand,” she said.

She explained that this demand can be unlocked by reducing barriers such as cost, convenience and infrastructure limitations, and by making alternative modes more attractive.

A long-term strategy focused on moving people

The updated Integrated Transportation Plan (ITP), currently underway, will guide transportation decisions through 2040 and take a broader approach than traditional road-focused planning.

“The ITP is a long-range planning strategy that describes how the town intends to grow its transportation network and integrates land use, transportation planning, and sustainability,” Pendon said.

Rather than targeting congestion at individual intersections, the plan focuses on increasing the overall capacity of the system by using space more efficiently.

Pendon said the approach includes integrating multiple modes of transportation and improving safety and accessibility across the network.

What comes next

The project is currently in its first phase, focused on understanding existing conditions and identifying gaps in the system.

“Where we are examines the current state of our transportation network and serves as the basis to inform where gaps and opportunities exist,” Pendon said.

A background report and gap analysis are expected later this year, followed by draft recommendations in the fall. The final plan is expected to go to council in early 2027.

Pendon said the plan will shape how people move around Canmore for years to come.

“Ultimately, this plan is about shaping how people move around Canmore in a way that reflects our values: safety, accessibility, sustainability, and livability,” she said.

For now, the direction is clear. Canmore is making progress, but with limited space and growing demand, how people choose to get around will determine whether that progress keeps pace.