Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West blasted the provincial government this week for leaving the city with the bill to replace the Coquitlam River bridge.
West called Victoria’s actions “irresponsible” for failing to give the municipality money to pay for the Lougheed Highway infrastructure, on the western end of PoCo and north of Lions Park.
The mayor, who made his comments before the city’s council of committee on Tuesday, July 2, urged the senior level of government to “step up” with funding given the high cost to replace the bridge and the regional use of the road.
West said the river crossing also creates a pinch point near the Lougheed/Shaughnessy intersection, which can cause traffic jams in the area, and he noted that the Lougheed stretch from the eastern side of the city and through Pitt Meadows is fully owned and operated by the provincial government.
West made his comments while reviewing the city’s draft Master Transportation Plan (MTP) that he says is, in some parts, contingent on other agencies such as the province, TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus, as well as neighbouring jurisdictions, to make it work.
He pointed to Coquitlam for the Fremont Connector, a future route from Burke Mountain to northern PoCo that’s designed to ease traffic on Coast Meridian Road (a request for comment from the cities of Coquitlam and PoCo about the major capital project were not immediately returned on July 5).
“I really believe we need to advance the Fremont Connector as quickly as possible,” the mayor said. “We all know the story about the pressure that is being experienced by our roads in north Port Coquitlam […] but the pressure is felt through the entire city.”
West also touched on the Mary Hill Bypass, a highway that sees many accidents a year and where “the ball is firmly in the province’s court” for improvements; it lacks a proper pedestrian and cycling route, he said.
And he addressed the lack of rail crossings, such as a Pitt River Road/Lougheed and Westwood/Kingsway, which require federal funding and sign off.
West said the increased growth in Port Coquitlam — and from surrounding municipalities — requires that the city update its MTP and address its gaps.
Revisions to MTP
On Tuesday, following nearly three years of consultation, including two public surveys that drew 2,500 written comments, the committee unanimously revised the draft MTP to include the following transportation projects in the final document:
- Shaughnessy cycle track
- Replace cycle track with slow street lane from McAllister to Kingsway. Use Donald MUP from McAllister to Central avenues.
- Citadel cycle track
- Change to multi-use path (MUP). Modify to cycle track future to if/when demand increases.
- Confederation cycle track
- Change to MUP. Modify to cycle track in future if/when demand increases.
- Reeve cycle track
- Change to MUP for consistency with existing MUP on remainder of corridor. Modify to cycle track in future to cycle track if/when demand increases.
- Pitt River cycle track
- Change to MUP for consistency with proposed MUP along remainder of corridor. Modify to cycle track in future if/when demand increases.
- Slow Streets
- Early consultation with community and SD43. Pilot projects in supported areas first (e.g., Argue, Kelly, Ulster).
- Citadel parking lot slow street
- Change to MUP outside of school parking lot and driveway.
- Kelly Avenue slow street
- Change sidewalks on the northern side from 1.8 m to 3 m wide for consistency along corridor.
- Pooley MUP
- Move MUP from the northern to southern side to avoid conflicts with driveway crossings on the northern side and facilitate better access to the school.
- Juniper sidewalk
- Move sidewalk from southern to northern side to avoid conflicts with driveway crossings and boulevard impacts on the southern side.
- Fletcher Way sidewalk
- Move sidewalk from the eastern to western side to avoid steep grades.
- Greer sidewalk
- Move sidewalk from the northern to southern side to avoid obstacles in the boulevard (retaining wall, poles, trees). Partial sidewalk and crosswalk also existing on the southern side.
As well, the draft MTP will include a section to reference the new provincial housing legislation (Bills 44 and 47) and the final plan will be reformatted for easier reading.
eTravel
Still, during its 90 minutes of discussion, the committee raised other ideas for the MTP, a guiding document aimed to address transportation improvements, safe and direct routes, cost efficiencies and construction coordination.
Couns. Steve Darling and Darrell Penner said more emphasis should be put on eBike and eScooter travel — a mode that’s rising in popularity given the cost of living in the Lower Mainland, Coun. Nancy McCurrach added.
Meanwhile, West also took aim at the number of heavy truck/commercial truck driving schools in the city that he says are flouting bylaws.
The mayor recommended a business licence suspension for the non-compliant drivers and schools.
What can Port Coquitlam do better to ease traffic and make roads safe to travel on? Send your comments for publication to [email protected].
