Coquitlam transportation staff are putting together plans to fill several gaps in the city's crosstown bicycle route, a 17-km trail that connects new neighbourhoods in the northeast with the southwest area and Lougheed SkyTrain Station.
Currently, 60% of the bike route uses existing paths and cycling lanes, but staff said over the next few years the city will allocate funding to add lanes and connections that will make the route safer and improve the rider's experience.
"The first step is to get the plan in place," said Catherine Mohoruk, the city's manager of transportation planning. "Then we will get those into the capital plan. My hope is that it will be looked at over the next five years."
Seven sections of the route require additional analysis, she added. Depending on the area staff will look at the feasibility of adding bike lanes to existing roads, improving traffic signals and signage and the addition of multi-use pathways.
The planning work is expected to begin in the new year and Mohoruk said an outline of what needs to be done to complete the crosstown bike route could be presented to council by the summer.
If the work is included in the city's capital plan, she said, funding would be allocated on an annual basis and work would be complete as the money came available.
The route is important, she added, because it fits in with a larger, regional cycling network, connecting Coquitlam with the rest of Metro Vancouver.
"I think the desire is there to connect northeast Coquitlam all the way across the city to Burnaby and points beyond," she said. "There are cyclists that do that and you want to have those connections in place to provide choice."
ROUTE IMPROVEMENTS
Guildford Way/Pinetree intersection: Designs for a cycle route transition is required from the multi-use pathway to the bike lane.
Johnson Street (Guildford Way to Barnet Highway): A design is required for a multi-use pathway along the west side of the street.
Mariner Way (Barnet Highway to the Coquitlam bus loop): Planning is required to determine the feasibility of putting a bike route through this segment.
Dewdney Trunk Road (Mariner Way to Ranch Park Way): More analysis is required to determine the feasibility of bike lanes for this portion of the route.
Spuraway Ave./Mariner Way intersection: A transition from multi-use pathway to bike lane is required.
Thermal Dr. Extension through Hillcrest middle school property: Finalizing right-of-way documents with School District 43 to use paved path through Hillcrest school property.
Austin Ave. at Whiting Way to Lougheed Town Centre: Planning is required to find a connection to the SkyTrain station.
TOPOGRAPHY
Funding and planning are not the only obstacles Coquitlam's transportation staff have to deal with when putting together the crosstown bike route.
In the municipality's hilly environment finding flat connections is no easy task, particularly difficult in the Ranch Park area, where zig-zagging switchbacks are necessary for even the most experienced cyclist.
But with new electric assists, technology could go a long way toward improving the cycling experience in Coquitlam, according to Catherine Mohoruk, the city's manager of transportation planning.
The mounted motors are designed to give pedal-powered bike riders a bit of a boost when going up hills or long distances. Many new bikes come with the feature and older two-wheelers can be retrofitted, she said.
"They are being used more and more," she said. "I highly recommend people investigate them because we are in an environment where there are a lot of hills. Once people use them they really like them."
