Roam (public transit)

Public transit system in the Bow Valley of Alberta, Canada

Roam

Formerly| Banff Public Transit
Parent| Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission[1]
Headquarters| Banff, Alberta
Locale| Banff, Alberta
Canmore, Alberta
Lake Louise, Alberta
Service type| bus service
Routes| 14: 7 year-round, 5 seasonal, and 2 temporarily suspended
Stops| 120
Destinations| Canmore, Alberta; Banff, Alberta; Lake Louise, Alberta; Banff National Park, Alberta; Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Hubs| 3
Fleet| Nova LFS
Daily ridership| 3,800 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[2]
Annual ridership| 1,647,800 (2024)[3]
Fuel type| hybrid electric, diesel fuel
Operator| BVRTSC
Website| roamtransit.com

Roam is the public transit system for the towns of Canmore, Banff (located inside Banff National Park), and serves Lake Louise (located inside Banff National Park) and the Bow Valley of Alberta's Rockies in Canada. The system is managed by the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission (BVRTSC). In 2024, the system had a ridership of 1,647,800, or about 3,800 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.

## History

[edit]

Roam was formerly known as Banff Public Transit and the town has had some form of public transportation since 1994, with services contracted to a variety of private operators.

The system was re-branded as Roam in June 2008. At the same time a new fleet of four hybrid buses was acquired and operation of the service was turned over to a new private contractor, Brewster Inc., a local tour bus company.

On April 21, 2011, the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission (BVRTSC) was formed by the Town of Banff, the Town of Canmore and Improvement District No. 9. This new government agency was authorised to provide or coordinate local and regional transit services in the Bow Valley.[4] Although not a voting member, Parks Canada actively participates in commission meetings.[4]

In the fall of 2012, the BVRTSC took over responsibility for the transit service.[5] On December 3, 2012, regional transit service between Banff and Canmore began.[6]

## Service

[edit]

Each Roam bus is decorated with images of different animals from the National Park and area. This one is Elk

There are currently fourteen routes, seven that operate year-round and five that operate seasonally (May to September).[7] Service is provided using hybrid Nova buses, each decorated with scenes from the National Park, featuring either a grizzly bear, elk, mountain goat, moose, buffalo, fish, fox, lynx, wolf, etc.

Route  | Districts/Areas Served  | Frequency  | Notes

|
|
|

1 Sulphur Mountain | Banff Sulphur Mountain District, Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District[8] | 40 minutes  | —
2 Tunnel Mountain | Banff Springs District, Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District, Banff Tunnel Mountain District[9] | 40 minutes  | —
3 Banff-Canmore Regional | Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District, Bow Valley Trail, Downtown Canmore[10] | 60 minutes  | Regional fare required
4 Cave & Basin | Cave and Basin, Bow Falls, Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District[11] | 60 minutes  | Operates Friday-Sunday, mid-May to September 30
5T Three Sisters | Downtown Canmore, Carey/Homesteads, Three Sisters[12] | Weekdays: 33–60 minutes

Saturday: 37 minutes

Sunday: 75 minutes

| Currently operating fare-free
5C Cougar Creek | Downtown Canmore, Cougar Creek, Bow Valley Trail[13] | Weekdays: 33–60 minutes

Saturday: 37 minutes

Sunday: 75 minutes

| Currently operating fare-free
6 Lake Minnewanka | Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District, Lake Minnewanka, Banff Train Station[14] | 60 minutes  | Operates mid-May to mid-September
7 The Banff Cantre | Banff Centre District, Surprise Corner, Banff Downtown District, Banff Uptown District  | 30 minutes  | Currently not operating due to Temporary Banff Centre closures[15]
8S Lake Louise Banff Senic | Johnston Canyon, Bow Valley Parkway, Lake Louise Village Centre, Lake Louise Lakeside, Banff Downtown District  | 4 hours 30 minutes  | Temporary Suspended for the 2024 season

Regional fare required

Operates July to August

8X Lake Louise-Banff Express | Lake Louise Village Centre, Lake Louise Lakeside, Banff Downtown District[16] | 60 Minutes  | Regional fare required
9 Johnston Canyon | Johnston Canyon, Bow Valley Parkway, Banff Downtown District[17] | 60 Minutes  | Regional fare required

Currently operating as a Weekend Service

10 Moraine Lake | Moraine Lake, Lake Louise Village Centre, Banff Downtown District[18] | 60 Minutes  | Regional fare required

Operates September to late-October/early-November

11 Lake Louise Local | Lake Louise Ski Resort/Park and Ride, Lake Louise Village Centre, Lake Louise Lakeside[19][20] |  | Operates Seasonally
12 Grassi Lakes | Downtown Canmore, Spring Creek, Bow Valley Trail, TeePee Town, Hospital Hill, Quarry Lake, Kananaskis Country; The Canmore Nordic Centre, Grassi Lakes[21][22][23][24][25][26] | 60 minutes  | Currently operating fare-free.

Currently operating as a Weekend Service

Operates May Long Weekend to September 15

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Transit History of Banff, Alberta
2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
4. ^ a b "Strategic & Business Plan, 2017 to 2020" (PDF). Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission. December 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
5. ^ "Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission Regulation" (PDF). Regulation 59/2011. Alberta. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
6. ^ "Roam between Canmore and Banff: regional public transit service". Roam. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
7. ^ "Schedules & Routes". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
8. ^ "Banff Local Route 1". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
9. ^ "Banff Local Route 2". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
10. ^ "Canmore - Banff Regional Route 3". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
11. ^ "Banff Local Route 4". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
12. ^ "Canmore Local Route 5T". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
13. ^ "Canmore Local Route 5C". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
14. ^ "Banff Local - Lake Minnewanka Route 6". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
15. ^ "Banff Centre (Route 7) Temporarily suspended - March 21". Roam Transit. 2020-03-21. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
16. ^ "Lake Louise - Banff Express Route 8X". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
17. ^ "Johnston Canyon Regional Route 9". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
18. ^ "Moraine Lake Regional Express Route 10". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
19. ^ "Lake Louise Local Route 11". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
20. ^ u/remembeu (2023-09-24). "ROAM route 11?". r/Banff - Reddit. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
21. ^ "Improving trails, transit and expanding K-Country". Roam Transit. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
22. ^ Colgan, Greg (2022-03-25). "New Grassi Lakes, Nordic Centre bus route to begin in 2024". Rocky Mountain Outlook. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
23. ^ Colgan, Greg (2022-07-04). "Seasonal transit route for Grassi Lakes transit, full-time options discussed". Rocky Mountain Outlook. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
24. ^ Alberta, Government of (2022-03-25). "Improving trails, transit and expanding K-Country". Alberta Government. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
25. ^ Parsons, Sarah (2024-07-09). "Exploring More of Canmore with Route 12". Roam Transit. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
26. ^ "Canmore Local Route 12". Roam Transit. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2024-10-08.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Roam public transit at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website
* Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission – Five-Year Business Plan
* Roam at CPTDB Wiki

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