eBike rebate available for more Banff residents
More money has been added to the Town of Banff’s new program to financially support residents in their purchase of an eBike.
Council voted this week to allocate an additional $40,000 for this year’s rebate. The program originally funded $40,000 worth of rebates in 2022, which was fully used up within two weeks of the program going live on March 8. That translates to 60 eBikes purchased.
The Town offers a rebate of up to $750 on eBikes, and it is limited to eBikes purchased for less than $5,000. A higher rebate is offered to Banff Access Program members. The $5,000 cap on the purchase price may be raised for adaptive eBikes required by residents with mobility issues.
According to the ebike rebate program to date:
- 45% of eBikes were purchased from local Banff stores
- The total retail value of purchases (including GST)is $207,286
- The average e-bike cost (including GST) is $3,488
- The total value of rebates issued is $41,437
- The average rebate per household is $691
Council has funded this program to encourage residents to leave their cars at home and take bikes as much as possible. Banff has a strategic priority to become a model environmental community and promoting cycling over driving helps reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, maintain clean air quality, reduce noise, while also helping reduce traffic congestion. In the last municipal census, 17% of residents said they commute by bicycle in summer.
The Town of Banff is only 4-square-kilometres in area but some neighbourhoods extend up the side of mountains. eBikes allow more residents to easily commute in town, especially those who benefit from extra power on steeper roads. The purchase of 60 bikes in the community translates to up to 60 vehicles off the road.
Seeing the success of the program, council voted to increase funding for this year’s eBike rebate, which comes from Visitor Pay Parking revenues.
Rebate applications are available at https://banff.ca/701/Residential-Environmental-Rebates
The program will run in 2023 with $40,000 available to support eBike purchases.
Banff increases investment to create Heritage Master Plan
Council allocated an additional $35,000 in 2023 to the Heritage Master Plan project, to be funded through the Heritage Capital Reserve.
The development of a Heritage Master Plan is part of council’s strategic priority to commemorate Banff’s cultural heritage. Protection of the built heritage enriches the quality of life for residents and provides education and interest to visitors.
The Heritage Master Plan will identify actions and resources needed to expand the conservation of heritage buildings and structures in the town of Banff over the next five to 10 years. The types of tactics anticipated include policy tools, financial incentives, regulations, facilitation services, and partnerships with other organizations. All building types within the Town of Banff’s boundaries are in the scope of potential protection, including residential, institutional, commercial buildings. Administration will draw on the fields of land development economics, planning, architecture, law, real estate sales and valuation, and public policy analysis, to complete the Heritage Master Plan.