Local cyclists will likely rejoice at news that Port Moody is starting to focus on ways to accommodate more active forms of transportation on its roads, including a connection to Coquitlam.
City council voted unanimously on Tuesday to spend $24,000 to develop concept plans for three road improvements.
“Today is a real pleasure, probably the highlight of my year so far,” said Colin Fowler, co-chair of HUB Cycling’s Tri-Cities committee. “It’s been so many years in the making with advocacy from our members.”
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Planning dates back to June, 2020, when the Transportation Committee noted that more multi-use pathways could create conflict in areas when vehicles and bicycles were sharing the same space.
Creating more space between the two road user-types was suggested as a possibility to enhance safety, and a consultant was hired to review six locations around the city.
Three have been selected for improvements.
Staff have been directed to come up with concept plans for protected bike lanes, or off street bicycle lanes, along Heritage Mountain Boulevard, the south side of Murray Street and Guildford Way.
The south side of Murray Street only has a painted bike lane between Electronic Avenue and Ioco Road, which does meet separation guidelines based on the speed and traffic in the area.
Guildford Way struggles with these same issues, and because Coquilam is improving its section of the street with a greenway project, the city wants to create a transportation link.
This will require further study as the street lacks the width for protected bike lanes.
Andrew Hartline, another co-chair the local HUB Cycling branch, said he often sees young families on the sidewalks with their bikes
He said he hopes to eventually see an unbroken link between Port Moody and Coquitlam city halls.
“It’s an immensely valuable link, and our portion is only 700 metres long,” Hartline said. “I really hope we manage to get something in place there as quickly as possible so that people in Port Moody can start reaping this valuable resource.”
Other improvements considered were additional buffers on Glenayre Drive, more traffic calming measures on Parkside Drive and Ravine Drive, more protected bike lanes and delineators on Ioco Road, and a pedestrian priority area on Spring Street.
Ioco Road and Spring Street are currently the subject of other traffic studies, and improvements will be made through those initiatives, according to the review.
Fowler stated that he hopes the city’s designs will include safety features at intersections as well as slip lanes – junctions where drivers can turn onto a new road without entering an intersection.
“They’re incredibly scary, incredibly dangerous,” Fowler said. “I think it would be misguided to try to address safety without also focusing on the slip lanes.”
The money needed for the concept plans will be drawn from the Master Transportation Reserve.
