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Letter: Ioco development will tie residents to cars

The Editor, Re “Bridge is a long shot; Flinn road only practical option’ (Letters, The Tri-City News, July 4).
IOCO
Architect Peter Busby, who's now in charge of planning the new Ioco Lands development, takes in the view across Burrard Inlet from the property's waterfront.

The Editor,

Re “Bridge is a long shot; Flinn road only practical option’ (Letters, The Tri-City News, July 4).

There has been recent discussion, including in the letters page of The Tri-City News, concerning the best way to connect future development on the Ioco lands in Port Moody and Anmore into the existing road network, a contentious possible connection through Bert Flinn Park being the most well known option.

But surely the main point that is being missed here is that the Ioco lands would be a terrible location for development.

We have all heard that Metro Vancouver needs to accommodate one million new people over the coming decades. The question is, where best to put all these new homes? Should they be in locations where people will likely have to drive to reach work, school or shopping? Or should we put people where they’ll have choices as to how they travel?

Locating people in mixed-use communities close to rapid transit gives people options such as walking to the grocery store or taking transit for work. This significantly reduces the number of new vehicle trips, as has been proven in many studies. When more people are able to walk or cycle for some of their daily needs, communities are strengthened, such as through better physical and mental health outcomes.

Metro Vancouver has five regional goals to help support growth, including creating a compact urban area, developing complete communities and supporting sustainable transportation choices. Building on the Ioco lands would support none of these goals and would lock new residents into a car-dependent future, adding more vehicle trips along Murray, St. Johns Street and other streets.

Focusing development around Moody Centre and Inlet Centre, as per Port Moody’s OCP, supports Metro Vancouver’s regional objectives and helps create a healthier, happier future for everyone in Port Moody.

Tim Barton, Port Moody