Banff is betting that fewer cars means more homes. The mountain community has launched an ambitious three-year car-sharing pilot program designed to reduce parking pressures, lower costs for residents, and free up valuable real estate for housing in one of Alberta's tightest markets.
Starting with five vehicles available at three locations throughout town, residents can now access cars on demand through an app—paying daily, monthly, or yearly rates depending on their needs. The program, a partnership between the Town of Banff and Communauto (a Canadian car-sharing service with over 7,000 vehicles nationwide), runs through 2028.
Less Car, More Home
Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno framed the initiative as a housing-first strategy. "Instead of saying I moved to Banff and had to buy a car to get around, people can say I moved to Banff and I didn't need a car anymore," she said.
The numbers tell the story: Banff has less than one per cent vacancy and 98.5 per cent of developable land is already built on. In the past two years, the town approved approximately 700 new housing units—a figure DiManno attributes directly to reducing parking requirements and prioritizing density.
"We chose housing over parking," the mayor said plainly.
Real Savings for Real Families
Allan Buckingham, an eight-year Banff resident, knows the math intimately. He and his family ditched their personal vehicle years ago, walking, cycling, and using transit within the four-square-kilometre townsite. When they need a car for trips outside the Bow Valley, they rent.
"We rent cars sometimes, but having different options at different price points and different ways to do it is awesome. Banff's a great place to not have a vehicle."
By selling their car, Buckingham's family eliminated monthly expenses like insurance, maintenance, and fuel—costs that added up even when the vehicle sat unused in their garage. The car-share model offers flexibility without the financial anchor of ownership.
How It Works—and Who Pays
The town will invest up to $75,000 annually from parking revenue to support the program. As residents embrace the service and usage grows, the municipal contribution is designed to decline—making the program increasingly self-sustaining.
Communauto Vice President Marco Viviani noted that car-sharing reduces community reliance on vehicle ownership, which naturally eases parking bottlenecks. "It helps people be less reliant on owning a car, which can lead to less parking pressures in a community," he said.
Part of a Bigger Transit Vision
The car-share program isn't Banff's only move. The town has steadily expanded transit options—buses, e-bikes, walking infrastructure—to create a genuinely car-optional community. For a mountain resort town with chronic housing shortages, the strategy makes both environmental and economic sense.
This report originally appeared on CBC Calgary. For more on local Banff news and Alberta community initiatives, visit CBC News Calgary.