Jasper National Park of Canada

Marmot Basin Ski Area Site Guidelines for Development and Use

5.9 Parking and Access

Ski Area Management Guidelines

Objectives

• Promote the use of buses and other forms of mass transit.
• Improve efficiency of parking lots.
• Secure the safety of ski hill clients.
• Consolidate operational roads and reduce impacts such as erosion.

Existing Situation

• Existing parking at Marmot is located at the base area and consists of four terraced parking lots. On busy days, additional parking takes place along the sides of the parking lot access road. Existing terraced lots and roadside parking can accommodate over 1,300 vehicles and 10 buses.
• The Caribou day lodge drop off area is poorly suited to the volumes of traffic experienced at the beginning and end of day. Safety concerns are associated with traffic congestion at those times.
• The vast majority of buses descend to the town after dropping off passengers and return to the ski hill in the afternoon to collect them. This is an impediment to the development of a more extensive, efficient and cost-effective mass transportation system for the ski area. There is little incentive/disincentive to encourage skiers to use mass transit or car pool.
• The ski hill has instituted an enhanced bus transportation system for skiers. Based on results, a more extensive mass transportation system could be well received.
• The existing access road appears to have the capability to adequately accommodate increased traffic if the ski area were to reach its design capacity at build out.

Site Guidelines

5.9.1 Encourage the expansion of mass transit opportunities.

5.9.2 Ensure effective utilization of available car parking.

5.9.3 Parking on the road can continue.

5.9.4 Working with the Town of Jasper, Parks Canada and other commercial operators, develop an integrated mass transportation strategy before considering any expansion of the parking lots as set out in 5.9.6.

5.9.5 A parkade structure can be considered.

5.9.6 Expansion of existing parking lots 1, 3 and 4 into Home Run will be considered as shown in map #7. Parking lot expansion to include rehabilitation and restoration strategies to address erosion, water and vegetation issues of the new and existing parking lots. Terrain modification may be considered consistent with section 5.6.

5.9.7 A bus parking lot in the current vehicle maintenance area relocated to the existing parking lot 2 as part of a consolidation of all ski area maintenance buildings (see Section 5.8.8) will be considered. Leveling and terrain modification consistent with section 5.6 can be considered.

5.9.8 There will be no net increase in operational service roads/trails to lifts and facilities.

5.9.9 Roads/trails should be consolidated where possible and those no longer required should be rehabilitated. Impacts of operational road use, such as erosion, will be addressed.

5.9.10 Strategies for expansion of mass transit, parking lot expansion and overall ski area expansion are to address potential impacts on wildlife mortality and public safety on the access road.

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