This e-newsletter is for people who have registered for project updates. If you know others who should receive this regular email update, please direct them to sign up at https://banff.ca/NotifyMe. For questions or comments, please email the project team at BearStreet.Talk@banff.ca
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OverviewReconstruction of Bear Street kicked off in April 2020 and will continue through to the late fall.
Follow the progress at BrandNewBear.ca
The project will replace all underground sewer and water mains, add soil cells for better irrigation of more trees and landscaping, more and better street lighting, additional public seating areas and areas where restaurants can apply to have patio seating.
There will be no curbs and no centre line, and the tile/slabs will create an environment encouraging pedestrians to cross anywhere.
There will be seasonal elements that will allow more parking to be added in winter months. The temporary seating platforms on Wolf and Caribou streets will not be installed between Bear Street and the alleys in 2020.
Project Duration: The project will proceed April to November 2020, and May to June, 2021, for landscaping and street furniture.
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Construction Activity - Week of May 18- Caribou Street intersection may re-open to east-west vehicular traffic this week.
- Wolf Street intersection is planned to be closed from approximately May 22 to 29.
- On-street parking is closed from Wolf Street to Caribou Street for safety reasons and schedule efficiency reasons. This situation will remain until the project is complete.
- Intermittent vehicular traffic interruption may occur on Bear Street. The road is closed for driving to the public.
- Existing infrastructure, such as street poles, benches, bicycle racks and street furniture will continue to be removed.
- Roadway and sidewalk cutting will continue through the week, progressing north.
- Fencing will continue to encompass the intersection at Caribou Street and may extend West towards the back alley.
- Additional fencing will also encompass the area from CMH Heli-Skiing to Wolf Street intersection.
- Underground parkade access will be closed intermittently through the week, with closures lasting longer than originally planned to allow acceleration of the project. Every effort will be made to accommodate tenants without creating schedule delays or cost increases to the project.
- The access to the Bear Street Mall underground parkade will be restricted starting May 20, for approximately one week.
- The access to the Townhouse Building underground parkade will be restricted starting May 22, for approximately one week.
- Property owners and tenants seeking alternative parking options can use public parking listed at banffparking.ca or private parking in the Cascade Shops parkade (contact Martin Halliday, cell: 403-804-9400).
- The replacement of the underground utilities in the street and to properties is slated to start late May/early June at the Caribou Street intersection. Caribou Street intersection would be closed for a few weeks.
- Water services will be disconnected only after notification of property owners, who will inform tenants. Intermittent service disruption may occur.
- An additional utilities work crew will be deployed to help accelerate the project later this month.
- Security lighting is in place. Extra caution should be used if the public needs to access the area at night.
- Brand New Bear fence scrim is being installed and wayfinding signs are being added to help navigate through the construction site, while following COVID distancing requirements.
- Expect road closures, sidewalk detours, vibrations, noise and dust.
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Background The Bear Street Reconstruction Project was formally approved on January 27, 2020, when Banff Town Council approved the annual operating and capital budgets. However, even though the Construction Contractor was selected from the 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP), the spread of the coronavirus and consequent COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in the Town of Banff paused the project. The Town of Banff declared a State of Local Emergency and Banff Town Council reopened the budgets in order to cut costs to reduce property taxes for our community facing a protracted recession and unemployment.
Although many Town of Banff infrastructure projects and operating services will be cancelled for 2020 when Council finalizes the budgets in May, Council has directed the Bear Street Reconstruction project to proceed.
Why the project is proceeding:
- Work during the COVID crisis will have less disruption to Bear Street tenants and residents, than if undertaken in a normal year or during Banff’s recovery period.
- The project will employ 90% Bow Valley residents for construction crews, during the protracted recession and widespread local unemployment.
- Reconstruction of a major street now will minimize impact on Banff’s destination reputation while international borders are closed and visitors are asked to stay home.
- The completion of the project will help position the Banff economy for recovery after pandemic.
- Timing is capitalizing on low interest rates used to finance the project.
- Bear Street stakeholders recommended the project should proceed during the pandemic.
Construction Description Hours: The hours of construction are permitted from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday). Periodic work on Saturdays may occur to help accelerate the project where possible. At this stage, no construction is planned for on Sundays. Pedestrian Access: Pedestrian access will be maintained to businesses through the project, with periodic closures if underground work required temporary closure. Similar to the Banff Avenue project in 2007-08, pedestrian routes will periodically include gravel segments over temporary surfaces. COVID distancing protocols for pedestrians may require one-way pathways, temporary closures or detours if two-metre distancing cannot be maintained. Roadway: Access on the Bear Street roadway will be maintained as long as possible. When construction and excavation begins, the majority of the roadway will be closed and fenced. Initial activity includes work on the water, sewer and drainage systems, which run the length of the street. Bear Street intersections will close at different stages in the project, beginning with the Caribou Street intersection closing this week for two weeks. Parking: Street parking will be removed as the construction area expands. The Bear Street surface parking lot will be closed for the duration of the project. Access to the underground parkades on Bar Street will be maintained much of the time, however, there will be periods when they need to be closed in order to work on the road and underground connections near the entrances. In order to accelerate the project construction, closures of the parkades will be longer than originally anticipated. Property owners will be notified about closures in advance, and they are asked to notify tenants. Parking on Caribou and Wolf streets will move to 15-minute time limits. The temporary platforms for patio and public seating will not be installed on Caribou and Wolf streets in 2020. In addition to nearby parking in the Bear Street Parkade, Bow Avenue and the Health Unit, the Cascade Shops is offering reserved and on-demand paid parking in the mall’s parkade, potentially beneficial for property owners and tenants on Bear Street that will have underground parkade access disrupted. (Contact Martin Halliday of Cascade Shops: 403-804-9400 or 403-270-5916). Construction during COVID-19 crisis - The priority during the project is the safety of construction workers, residents and people who work on the street. The project has implemented enhanced health, proximity and hygiene protocols for construction crews, monitored throughout the project.
- Site supervisors will regularly review COVID-19 requirements with work crews and contractors, including special equipment and protocols used when workers are unable to maintain 2-metre distance from other workers.
- Sidewalk controls and barriers will maintain physical distancing between workers and the public, and fenced pathways will be positioned for social distancing between members of the public. At certain times, this may require one-way pathways, detours and closures, if the ability to maintain 2-metre distancing cannot be provided.
Everyone is reminded to keep 2 metres/6 feet away from others when traveling through Bear Street and the construction zone.
Project Objectives
- The Bear Street Shared Street project (called a Woonerff for five summer trials) will help pedestrians, cars and cyclists become equal users of the commercial road.
- In addition to the beautification of the street, traffic-calming features will make vehicles drive at very slow speeds, pedestrians will have the right-of-way, and cyclists will travel comfortably through the space.
- Research of conversions to pedestrian-friendly streets in other communities show increased pedestrian safety, visitor enjoyment, and an economic boost to businesses.
- The project will replace all underground sewer and water mains, add soil cells for better maintenance of more trees and landscaping, more and better street lighting, additional public seating areas and areas where restaurants can apply to have patio seating.
- There will be no curbs and no centre line, and the tile or slabs will create an environment encouraging pedestrians to cross anywhere.
- There will be seasonal elements that will allow more parking to be added in winter months.
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Parks Canada UpdateChanges to visitor services in Banff National Park as a result of Covid-19 remain in effect until further notice. Facilities remain closed and camping, group activities, attractions, facilities and events are suspended until at least May 31. Visitor services and vehicle access to secondary roads and trailhead parking lots remain closed. On June 1, 2020, limited visitor access and services will be offered at select national parks, national wildlife areas, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas. This means:
- Starting June 1, visitors will be permitted to access some trails, day use areas, and green spaces at some locations. Until then, all suspensions of visitor services and closures of facilities announced in March remain in place.
- For their own safety, visitors should not try to access locations that are closed.
- All camping facilities remain closed until at least June 21, 2020, while Parks Canada assesses whether and how these services might resume. Group activities and public events will be prohibited until further notice. All existing reservations set to take place prior to June 21, 2020, will be automatically cancelled and refunded in full.
- Highways and roadways which pass through Parks Canada places will remain open.
- Parks Canada will continue to deliver services critical for Canadians, including highway maintenance, fire response, dam operations and water management on historic waterways, avalanche control, among others.
Updates: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/covid-19-info
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Banff to increase services as regional visitors steadily increase The safety of residents, local employees and visitors is the top priority for Banff. We are eager to welcome visitors back to Banff, but only when it is safe to do so. Despite the Stage 1 Relaunch Strategy allowing many businesses to reopen (except in Calgary and Brooks), the Town of Banff, Parks Canada and its agency partners are recommending visitors wait until next month to visit, when we have more measures in place to make it safe for employees, residents and visitors. As a community, we need to ensure we have all protocols in place to welcome people back to a safe and exceptional visitor experience.
Preparations: As restrictions are lifted and more visitors return to Banff, it is more important than ever that public health measures are followed so that we do not take steps backward, undoing the successful efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Banff.
- Businesses and services need time to hire back staff, and put in place physical distancing controls, and staff training, before they can open.
- The Town of Banff will implement a range of measures in public spaces – such as controls on sidewalks and parks to ensure physical distancing can be maintained.
- The Town is creating a plan to completely close the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue to vehicle traffic. The plan will be brought to the May 25 Council meeting for approval. A trial was conducted this May long weekend with one lane closed each way on Banff Ave.
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All individuals must take responsibility for maintaining health measures so we can all keep COVID-19 under control: - People must be prepared with hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes.
- Everyone should wear masks in crowded public spaces.
- People should wash or sanitize their hands frequently.
- Gatherings are not permitted with more than 15 people inside and 50 people outside – and remember sidewalks, trailheads and viewing platforms can get very busy.
- Lining up for retail or restaurants must be managed to allow 2 metre distancing between people. Operations should consider digital strategies to reserve visits to avoid long line-ups, such as Open Table or pagers.
- People must maintain a 2 metre distance from anyone else not from your household – that’s the law in Alberta.
Please promote these measures to Keep Banff Safe.
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Support local businessThe Town of Banff encourages residents Shop Local from one of the increasing list of businesses offering limited, COVID-safe services: banff.ca/OpenInBanff
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