Mountain bike alliance celebrates momentum

The Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance is happy, and so it should be.

After a stellar 2007 season, which saw Canmore Nordic Centre singletrack expanded and refined, and the awesome new Highline loop above Canmore's Peaks of Grassi neighbourhood completed, the group is now looking to 2008 for more success stories.

On the slate this year is the formalizing and upgrading of Banff's Tunnel Mountain trail system, as well as a continued push toward creating the Banff Avenue to Cascade wildlife underpass connector and Banff-Canmore commuter trail.

"There's a lot of people here that thought they'd never see it in our lifetime, and now its going to happen," said BVMBA spokesperson Eric Harvie, a lawyer who has worked tirelessly on trail access issues.

"I'm just excited we're getting a new trail and I just feel the pendulum swung so far in the other direction for so long it's nice to see it swing back," said Doug Topp, a Banff mountain biker who sells real estate when he's not riding on or lobbying for the region's trails.

"LATB is leading the charge in that direction."

When Harvie and Topp speak of LATB, or the Lands Adjacent to Banff plan, they speak of a Parks Canada planning document overseeing recreational trail use around the town's perimeter, which has also identified the Vermilion Lakes road as a route in need of immediate upgrade.

"LATB is through parliament; it's part of the (Parks) management plan," said Harvie.

Despite the parliamentary seal of approval the work will not miraculously happen overnight.

While Tunnel Mountain and the Cascade Underpass connector will likely both see significant physical work over the next two summers, the paved Banff-Canmore commuter still hinges on the ability of non-government dollars materializing to pay for a large chunk of the $11 million-plus estimated price tag.

Parks Canada planner, Mike Murtha, said the entire plan is a huge positive and an indicator the government wants to upgrade facilities, but he said a lengthy timeline may be required prior to the completion of all the projects - in particular the commuter trail.

"We are still working through the background studies and the main one we have with this spring is the environmental assessment," he said of the status of the commuter trail.

"The detailed planning wouldn't be done until after the environmental assessment."

Murtha said it is currently impossible to predict when the project could be completed, noting, "it will be dependent on fundraising."

Nonetheless, Murtha insists Parks Canada is eager to see the trail completed, especially in the wake of bike rider fatalities between Banff and Canmore, and east of Canmore last summer.

"We're all anxious to make it happen," said Murtha.

"It is a priority in terms of getting all the pieces in place.

"It certainly reflects our interest in improving the visitor experience."

Regarding safety he said, "Anything, in our mind, is safer than having people riding on the shoulder of the Trans-Canada Highway."

"We had one fatality last year, and one on the 1A Highway east of Canmore as well. They certainly pushed things along.

"We want people to enjoy the parks and enjoy them safely."

As to the cost of the enormous project, which involves creating not only the three-metre wide paved surface, but also several bridges, Murtha said it is not unlike building a regular road.

"People shudder when they hear $11 million, but people need to remember, it's 20 kilometres, paved, and three metres wide. It's like a mini highway," he said.

"At each of the wildlife crossings and at Carrot Creek a bridge would have to be built. It's basically half a million dollars per kilometre."

Despite the current lack of funds and construction schedule, Harvie and the BVMBA are simply thrilled at the fact an excellent concept has been approved and will come to reality somewhat soon.

"The theory is you can go all the way from Canmore to the 1A Highway (Bow Valley Parkway west of Banff) without ever having to go on the Trans-Canada Highway," he said.

"To rent a bike in Banff and go to Canmore and back, it will be perfect.

"It's a great thing; it's a wonderful thing."