A city-wide speed limit of 30 km/h on most or all streets, reallocating some road space to other uses like sustainable transport and offering incentives for the purchase of e-bikes.
Those are some of the ideas Port Moody is considering to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve safety as part of its new master transportation plan.
The city has been working on updating the plan since 2021 and a report presented to council on Tuesday, April 23, suggests several initiatives to promote more sustainable ways of getting around the city to help it achieve its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
They include:
- A "smarter parking program" that’s comprised of a combination of maximum time limits for parking, paid on-street parking and demand management for recreation parking
- Lowering the speed limit across the city to 30 km/h and to 40 km/h on some collector and arterial routes
- Reallocating at least 10 per cent of the city’s roadway space to other uses like sustainable transport, public spaces or green infrastructure
- Prioritizing transit along St. Johns Street and constructing more active transport crossings over rail and SkyTrain lines
- Promoting sustainable transport by providing incentives to purchase e-bikes, encouraging bike, micrormobility and car sharing as well as encouraging the use of transit
Some of the ideas that were rejected include the construction of a third SkyTrain station, the implementation of a universal city-wide transit pass and charging an amenity fee for driveways.
The report’s author, transportation engineer Nobinur Rahman, said the ideas grew from a public webinar in April, 2022, a survey and several workshops with community stakeholders, city staff and members of the transportation committee.
They were evaluated for their ability to avoid or reduce travel, encourage shifts to more energy efficient transportation and improve the efficiency of existing ways of getting around along with the contribution they’d make to reducing greenhouse gasses, improve safety and change the way people move around.
Rahman said Port Moody residents will get a chance to provide feedback on the five possible transportation initiatives later this spring, through a public survey and an open house.
📣 SOUND OFF: What do you think about traffic in Port Moody? What would it take to get you to consider alternate modes of getting around or to use your vehicle less? Share your thoughts by writing us a Letter to the Editor. Please be sure to include your full name and city of residence.
