The launch of Roam’s two new routes kicked off on October 9 with a ribbon cutting and a few light speeches at Banff High School Transit Hub.

The ribbon was cut and the buses headed off. Residents and visitors are now able to take Roam Public Transit to the hamlet of Lake Louise and to Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

“The Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission (BVRTSC) is proud to announce these two new routes, thanks to funding from Improvement District 9 (ID 9) and Banff Centre,” says Martin Bean, CAO of BVRTSC.

“It’s amazing! We’re connecting up the Bow Valley better than ever before! One of our primary goals is to reduce the number of cars on the road and offer people an alternative to driving their vehicles in the valley.”

Named Route 8, the new Regional Banff-Lake Louise route will leave from downtown Banff to Lake Louise, making stops at the Samson Mall and the Lake Louise Lakeshore. This route will grow in Summer 2019 to include stops along the Bow Valley Parkway, including Johnston Canyon. Fares for Route 8 will be $8 one-way. The Roam service replaces a seasonal contract Parks Canada implemented for transit to Lake Louise for the past two summers.

“Roam’s new Regional Banff-Lake Louise route is a watershed moment for the Bow Valley and a huge milestone for Roam Public Transit,” says Davina Bernard, BVRTSC board chair and ID 9 Councillor. “Now Roam provides connectivity to all residential and business communities, from Canmore to Lake Louise.”

Named Route 7, the bus to Banff Centre will depart every 30 minutes from downtown Banff during peak hours of the day, every day. The Route 7 schedule has been designed to provide convenient connections for commuters riding the Regional Banff-Canmore (Route 3), with transfers at the Banff High School transit hub. The Route 7 departs every 30 minutes between 7 and 10 a.m. and again between 4 and 7:30 p.m. Fares for Route 7 will be $2 one-way.

“By creating this new route we hope to provide a more efficient transit experience for current bus commuters, as well as an appealing option for people who haven’t tried taking the bus to work,” says Bean. “We’re also happy to be able to give artists, faculty, and guests of Banff Centre an easy way to travel around Banff. The route out to Lake Louise is set up to allow residents to be able to travel in for an afternoon or evening, have dinner or go to an early movie then go back to Lake Louise.”

Roam Public Transit said their overall mission is to operate, enhance and grow our regional transit system through innovative transportation solutions and to ensure that residents and visitors are able to live, work and play in the Bow Valley without the use of a private vehicle.

For more information on current transit routes, schedules, and fares for Banff, Canmore, and Lake Minnewanka, go to roamtransit.com.