When in Banff, Roam

May 28, 2008 - Today, the Town of Banff unveiled Roam, a unique new public transit experience. The Town is the first municipality in the country to launch an all-hybrid electric transit fleet. The buses look special too; they are wrapped in authentic Banff National Park Wildlife imagery with each bus featuring a coveted, backcountry view of grizzlies, elk, goats and wolves. To celebrate, everyone in Banff can Roam free on our official launch day, Monday, June 2.

Banff Town Council made the decision to invest an additional $970,000 to ensure they could deliver an environmentally considerate transit option. Standard diesel buses would have cost $1.6 million, however, the hybrids bring the total program cost to nearly $2.6 million. Parks Canada was pleased to contribute $45,000 to this worthwhile project.

"We live in a national park and Unesco World Heritage Site, so it is really important to us to always consider the environmental impacts of our decisions," says Banff Town Councillor Stavros Karlos. "With these new hybrids, we'll reduce emissions and lower our fuel and lifecycle costs. And the buses look amazing. I think people are going to want to leave their cars where they are, and Roam instead."

"Roam brings a new focus on customer service," adds Town Manager, Robert Earl. We've added the latest technology fare boxes that accept everything from smartcards to US currency, and in July we will install special GPS displays at key stops to tell you when the next bus is coming. We are also proud to partner with a new service provider - Brewster. Their drivers are the best and friendliest around, so we're hoping to see some solid ridership increases this year."

The Town of Banff partnered with Parks Canada to create stories for the bus interiors as a means to educate and entertain passengers while they are riding from site to site.

"Our Government is proud to be a partner in a project that not only provides Canadians with environmentally-friendly public transit but also serves as a vehicle to connect visitors and residents with the awe-inspiring nature of the Rocky Mountains," said Myron Thompson, MP for Wild Rose. "This is another example of how our Government is working collaboratively with local residents and the Town of Banff to enhance visitor experience and environmental protection in Canada's first national park."

Dow Canada and MEGLobal are sponsors of the buses' exterior wraps. The Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff Gondola, Banff Upper Hot Springs, Parks Canada and Banff Lodging have partnered with the Town of Banff to support the operational costs of Roam. There are four buses in the fleet.