New bike lane coming to Coquitlam next summer on Pipeline Road

Pipeline Road cyclists may soon have a lane of their own.

Next summer, the City of Coquitlam is planning to build a micro-mobility pathway between Guildford Way and Lincoln Avenue for bikes and scooters. This lane will be separated from both traffic and pedestrians, with the goal to make the street safer for all users.

“Once you do that, then you kind of hit the sweet spot for people going around 30 kilometers an hour,” said Thomas Thivener, the manager of transportation planning for the City of Coquitlam.

He said that drivers on Pipeline Road typically go around 50 kilometers per hour, while people on foot go around five.

“So we’ll be able to define a space for people using micro-mobility and separate from the other user groups, making it a little bit more comfortable and safe for everybody.”

This way, bikes and scooters are at less risk from cars, and pedestrians are at less risk from bikes and scooters on sidewalks.

A 2023 report found that residents wanted to walk and bike more, but were worried about road safety.

“People are interested in active transportation but they’re extremely concerned about putting themselves and their lives at risk through transport,” said Colin Fowler, the co-chair of Tri-Cities Bike HUB.

Designing infrastructure  — like micro-mobility lanes — that is safe for cyclists and walkers is important to encourage more commuters to consider active transportation

Fowler called the Pipeline Road project “fantastic” given its location near Glenn Elementary.

“It enables children to bike to school safely, and gives their parents confidence that their children are going to get there safely.”

Choosing to bike, walk, scoot or bus is also better for the environment and reduces traffic congestion.

“Every person walking or on a bike is a person not in a car,” Fowler said.

Coquitlam has a goal that 50 percent of all trips will be by sustainable transportation (either walking, biking or transit) by 2050.

Currently, it is at 22 percent, but Thivener said it exceeds that in the City Centre.

“But we have higher expectations. People are moving into towers with fewer cars, and they want to be able to walk and bike or scoot safely,” he said.

Alongside the new bike lane, the city plans to upgrade five intersections with new turn signals, lanes, more crosswalks, and wheelchair ramps. They will also change parking and loading zones to accommodate an increase in delivery services.

The City is holding a information session on November 20 and has an online survey available until December 3. They’re hoping to hear from Pipeline Road users, Thivener added.

“We just want to make sure that we’ve got the design right,” Thivener said.

The final design will be presented to council early next year, and construction is expected to start next summer.

Thivener said the project will cost approximately $1 million.