The new route for this year's Terry Fox Hometown Run in Port Coquitlam got cheers and jeers, its organizer said Monday.
Dave Teixeira said while volunteers heard a fair number of complaints about the pedestrian and cyclist traffic jam along Coast Meridian Road and the overpass, they were also congratulated by families who liked crossing the viaduct over the CP Rail tracks and passing by one or two of the city's Terry Fox statues.
Still, Teixeira said his committee will meet next month with the city to suggest alternatives to make the route safer for the 35th annual Fox run in 2015.
Sunday's route, which was approved Sept. 1 by the city, police and fire officials, saw participants in the 10 km and 8 km routes turn south from Laurier Avenue and head down a single lane on the east side of Coast Meridian Road to Kingsway Avenue.
That caused headaches for cyclists and other speedy participants as they were on a collision course for their return. As well, some people doing the 10 km route went down Riverwood Gate first - to Terry Fox secondary school - instead of going straight to the overpass, which cut into people's paths, Teixeira said.
And, at the viaduct's south end, there was also confusion for the 8 km participants who had little room to turn around.
A few participants took to Hometown Run's Facebook page to vent their frustrations, calling the new route "horrific" and "awful."
"We were crammed off to the side of Coast Meridian, with runners weaving in and out of the small kids on their bikes (who are wobbly at best) - no room at all to space out," wrote one participant, who also said: "I heard police officers yelling to each other, asking who's doing what, saw one near physical altercation and heard of several more and NUMEROUS complaints from runners/bikers and walkers alike on how terrible the route was as far as keeping traffic under control/stopped."
The same commenter asked: "They shut down all of Shaughnessy every year for the car show, you're telling me they can't shut down Coast Meridian for a couple of hours to honour a hero like Terry Fox?"
One proposal the Hometown Run committee will put to city and emergency staff will be close all of Coast Meridian Road - from Laurier to Kingsway - for next year's run, Teixeira said. There could also be "rolling opens" to allow traffic to flow through and the committee may ask professional traffic controllers to donate their time to help direct run participants at access points and intersections along with RCMP officers. More run volunteers with traffic training will also be requested.
In addition, the Hometown Run committee will try to promote the new route better for next year with print and online ads.
Teixeira said he's not in favour of going back to the old route, which started down Prairie Avenue and wound its way in the subdivisions west of Coast Meridian Road.
"Unfortunately, there have been a number of complaints from residents in those communities," he said, "everything from 'I can't get my car out' during the run to 'This is disruptive.'"
Mayor Greg Moore, whose father Bruce was the run emcee and Fox's high school coach, said city council believes the new route is "fabulous" and will stay.
"I thought that it felt much more community oriented than the past route because everybody - walking and riding - got to see each other unlike before, when it was just at the finish line," Moore said.
He agreed, however, that the run layout needs to be wider.
"I don't think a lot of people are going to mind if some roads are blocked off for a short time for the Terry Fox Run," he said.
