PlanningforsafercyclingonGuildfordWay

Separated lanes will connect to new lanes in Coquitlam

MARIO BARTEL mbartel@tricitynews.com

A Tri-Cities cycling advocate says a decision by Port Moody council to begin planning for new separated bike lanes along Guildford Way is “the highlight” of his year

Colin Fowler, co-chair of the Tri-Cities chapter of HUB Cycling, said the new lanes will ensure continuity with cycling infrastructure improvements being built along the Coquitlam section of the busy thoroughfare, making it safer for cyclists of all ages to travel between the two communities

But, Fowler cautioned, the new plan should also consider eliminating the slip lanes that allow cars from intersecting streets to merge onto Guildford without necessarily stopping as they can be dangerous for cyclists

At its meeting last Tuesday (March 14), council approved the expenditure of up to $24,000 from the city’s master transportation reserve fund to develop a concept plan and implementation strategy for the new separated lanes from Ioco Road to the Coquitlam border As well, staff will begin developing plans for new protected bike lanes on Heritage Mountain Boulevard and the south side of Murray Street

The three routes are among several identified for high priority consideration of upgrades in a review of Port Moody’s bike routes by civil engineering consultants

R F Binnie & Associates Ltd

In a report, transportation engineer Geoffrey Keyworth said some of the routes, like Ioco Road and Spring Street, are already part of other studies

But the painted lanes currently running along both sides of Guildford Way fall way short of the safety and comfort standard set once Coquitlam has completed construction of protected lanes in its Guildford Greenway project that will run from the Port Moody border to Pinetree Way That project recently received $500,000 from the provincial government Guildford Way has been identified as route in need of upgrades by HUB Cycling

“This corridor is one of our most preferred routes in the Tri-Cities area to improve because it connects all three municipalities within the Tri-Cities,” said Fowler and his co-chair, Andrew Hartline, in a letter

However, Keyworth cautioned, Port Moody’s portion of Guildford currently isn’t wide enough to accommodate separated bike lanes, so further planning is needed to determine how best to integrate with the new lanes being built in Coquitlam

As for Murray Street, Keyworth said the new multi-use path running along its northern side has become “one of the city’s most comfortable cycling routes "

But the southern side is woefully inadequate with nothing from Rocky Point Park to Electronic Avenue and just a painted lane from Electronic Avenue to Ioco Road, he said

A new protected bike lane on Heritage Mountain Boulevard would also be a natural connection to the existing multi-use path that runs along David Avenue, Keyworth said