Getting across downtown Port Moody will look a lot different beginning next Tuesday (May 25).
That’s when the city implements a traffic calming pilot project on Spring Street that was originally set to start last September 28.
But it was delayed after several businesses along the east-west corridor that runs between St. Johns and Clarke streets complained they weren’t consulted or notified about the proposed changes.
Ross Edwards, the owner of the Saint St. Grill, said any impediment to customers trying to access his restaurant would be especially onerous during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.
The traffic calming measures include the installation of barricades at five intersections along Spring Street that will prevent vehicles from entering while still allowing full access to cyclists and pedestrians, as well as city garbage collection trucks.
The resulting changes in traffic pattern means:
- no eastbound access to Spring Street from Douglas, Elgin and Kyle streets
- no westbound access to Spring Street from Grant and Moody streets
- right turn only for eastbound traffic on Spring Street at Moody Street
In a press release, the city said the measures are the result of concerns raised by residents about commuters using the narrow road to bypass rush hour traffic on St. Johns and Clarke streets.
“Spring Street was not designed for commuter traffic,” said the release. “These changes are intended to discourage commuters from using Spring Street as a bypass while also improving safety and comfort for pedestrians and cyclists.”
The city said it will monitor the effectiveness of the traffic calming project for any adjustments that need to be made, as well as to help determine whether measures will be implemented permanently.
For more information, including a map and feedback form, go to www.portmoody.ca.
