Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
Nobody wants to train it to Calgary, Red Deer or Edmonton and wind up without a car.
Ditto Banff/Canmore because while those places are easily traversable on foot and part of the idea is to ease traffic congestion, it immediately goes out the window when travelers want to go and see stuff away from the Urban centers.
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That's why we need more options. Everything is so car-centric that we can't even imagine any alternatives. I could totally do a couple of days in (central) Edmonton without a car. I'd probably take a few Uber trips, but it would still be better than 3 hours of attention each way, gas, etc. Imagine going up for a hockey game, dinner, etc. without a car. Totally do-able.
Supplemental infrastructure would also pop up around rail links. It is already happening in Banff because there simply isn't enough room to park all of the cars. Shuttles to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, transit to Johston's Canyon, transit around town to Sulphur Mountain, etc. Maybe renting a car IN Banff for a day or two (or even a few hours) would be more desirable to tourists instead of renting in Calgary, driving, paying extra on gas, etc. We have already reached the point where having a car in Banff can be a hindrance, as can being without one, depending on what you're doing.
Obviously a car is needed to get to a lot of trails, driving the parkways, seeing some sights, etc. but providing options is still beneficial to all. That highway is jammed in the summer. If some tourists and daytrippers were on a train instead, that would be fine by me.