Cyclists riding in Port Coquitlam will see some colourful — and playful — upgrades to some bike routes and civic parks to make the city more bike-friendly.
City crews recently painted a few of its main streets partially green to alert commuters about on-road cycling paths. They also installed six bike racks that double as public art and added more signs along some of the municipality's 61 km of bike routes.
The green paint went down on portions of Pitt River Road and McLean Avenue as the city was upgrading that area this summer.
And six custom racks — shaped as squirrels, musical notes, an old-fashioned bike and a yogi — were also placed at Lions Park, Leigh Square Community Arts Village and on the Traboulay PoCo Trail; each rack can hold two bikes (this year, the city placed a total of 25 new bike racks around town, including the six public art pieces).
In addition, bike route signs went up on: Apel and Citadel drives; Fraser, Salisbury, Wilson and Patricia avenues; and Riverwood Gate/Riverside Drive.
Next year, city council is expected to earmark $300,000 for more bike path upgrades to link PoCo pedestrians and cyclists with the Evergreen Extension in Coquitlam; a list for improvements will be before the Transportation Solutions and Public Works committee next month.
“Improving how people can get around in our city is an ongoing priority for us,” said acting mayor Coun. Laura Dupont, in a news release today (Tuesday). “Aside from promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging people to cycle helps to alleviate traffic, reduce air pollution and support other forms of sustainable transportation, like transit.”
Over the couple of years, PoCo has made a bigger push for cycling including hosting the PoCo Grand Prix — a professional competitive race that's linked to the BC Superweek series.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
