Port Moody earmarks $350,000 to replace unsafe shortcut causing high school students to trespass

Port Moody has allocated more than $350,000 to replace a popular but problematic pedestrian shortcut adjacent to Snake Hill.

There are significant liability concerns connected to Mount Royal Walkway, an almost hidden path that connects Clarke Road and Mount Royal Drive.

Part of the staircase intrudes onto an adjacent private lot and its wooden stairs and railing are in poor condition, posing safety hazards, according to Port Moody city staff.

“One of the residents mentioned that some people would wipe out on the pavement and slip and fall when it was icy during the wintertime,” said Coun. Callan Morrison, who visited the site recently.

The walkway provides a shortcut for many Port Moody Secondary students walking from north of Seaview Drive.

But trespassing concerns were raised with the city in early 2022 from one property owner who claimed the walkway partially cuts through his land.

The city conducted its own investigation and confirmed problems with the walkway’s alignment, along with other aspects, including poorly defined access points, drainage flows, and private sheds obstructing the path.

Staff said they do not know how the walkway ended up intruding onto private property, adding historical survey information show the walkway was originally meant to be on an adjacent road right of way, “but somehow it veered off.”

The new project would completely replace the existing pathway and move it entirely onto city property. It would add concrete stairs, handrails and asphalt pathways, separate the private and public properties with a fence, and add signage to direct pedestrian traffic.

Alternatively, staff said the city could simply remove the walkway for $40,000.

Port Moody has plans for a citywide walkways assessment in the 2024 capital plan, which would start a program to upgrade a significant number of similar paths across the city.

Currently, staff said they only fix municipal walkways, “on an ad hoc basis as needed.”

Although Mayor Meghan Lahti was supportive of the citywide program, she said she was unsure whether the city should allocate the funds to the Mount Royal Walkway.

She said the city did not have data on its overall usage, and there may be less of a need for the walkway as the neighborhood evolves with more development.

“I would like . . . all of these pathways to be on our radar when we’re looking at new development as it’s coming into the city,” Lahti said. “We should be looking to see if we can get funding from other means.”

Couns. Kyla Knowles and Callan Morrison, however, said they visited the walkway on their own initiative prior to the meeting to gather more information.

Both said their prior budgetary concerns were quashed after speaking with local residents.

Knowles said the walkway was “very well used,” with one resident estimating 50 to 60 people a day were taking the shortcut each day, including many dog walkers.

She said even if the city decommissioned the walkway, commuters would still cut through the area as it is a significantly shorter route than walking up Clarke Road.

“It’s going to happen regardless,” Knowles said. “I feel confident that this is a well-used and well-loved path by that entire neighborhood.”

Morrison admitted that as a high school student, he often took shortcuts to shave off time from his commute, and he expects Moody Secondary students would do the same.

He noted they are actively trying to make the city more walkable, and scrapping the pedestrian walkway could inconvenience residents enough to start taking trips by vehicle.

Morrison added many students actually prefer to not walk down the busy Clarke Road because of traffic noise and safety concerns.

Both councillors agreed the current problems with the walkway need to be fixed.

Knowles said she was wearing boots and almost slipped twice, stating it is “definitely not safe.”

Morrison added he had a hard time finding the path, and the city needs to make the replacement more identifiable. 

After hearing of the councillors’ firsthand observations, Lahti, along with the rest of council, said they were in full support of the project.

Coun. Samantha Agtarap said that $350,000 may seem expensive, but considering the risk of further liability and the total lifetime of the structure, “it will be money well spent.”