A stretch of Port Moody’s busiest thoroughfare will be hushed of traffic on Sunday, Aug. 18.
Instead, St. Johns Street from Queens to Moody streets, will be alive with the sounds of live music, roving entertainers and families enjoying activities like a climbing wall, mini golf and an inflatable slide.
Car-Free Day is returning to Port Moody for the first time since 2019.
Mayor Meghan Lahti said the event is an opportunity for the community to connect with each other, as well as local businesses and organizations, while learning more about alternate modes of transportation.
She said closing the road encourages visitors “to think about how we can walk, cycle and use transit more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Port Moody’s first Car-Free Day in 2017 attracted more than 20,000 people, followed by 25,000 in 2018.
Car-free day in Port Moody draws 25k visitors https://t.co/wijvRMriLB pic.twitter.com/pBsuxRiXnH
— Tri-City News (@TriCityNews) August 22, 2018
Traffic engineer Jan Voss said the initiative was part of a growing trend among cities to reclaim their streets for people instead of cares with design considerations like wider sidewalks, more space for patios and the integration of bike lanes.
“You’re really trying to slowly change to a more balanced approach,” Voss said. “If you’re moving 100 people, you want to make sure you accommodate all modes.”
Following successful events in 2018 and 2019, Port Moody cancelled its Car-Free Day in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and budgetary constraints scuttled it in subsequent years. This year’s event is budgeted at about $124,000, some of which will be recouped from sponsorship.
Car-Free Day runs from noon until 5 p.m. although the closure of St. Johns Street, from Douglas to Moody streets, will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Entertainers include:
- Canadian yo-yo champion Terrance Wong
- Zaya Philip, the winner of the 2023 Tri-Cities Got Talent competition
- indie rockers 4 Quarter Boulevard
- alt-pop duo Sam the Astronaut
As well, there will be about 100 community booths featuring local businesses, artisans and non-profit groups, a pop-up city hall, beer garden run by Rotary and displays by Port Moody Fire Rescue, Port Moody Police, Port Moody Public Library as well as the city’s environment and climate action teams.
TransLink will also be in attendance with its vintage buses, games and transit information.
For more information, including lists of participating vendors, a map of the road closures and alternate routes, tips to attend the event and even a chance to volunteer, you can visit the Car-Free Day page on the city's website.
