Nearly $5.9M is earmarked for Tri-City transportation and recreation upgrades. Here’s where

Millions of dollars have been set aside for several transportation options in the Tri-Cities aiming to improve transit, recreation and overall quality of life.

Today (June 24), TransLink’s Mayors’ Council approved an investment of $125 million for Metro Vancouver communities for upgrades and maintenance of walking and cycling paths and roads, with potential to build new infrastructure options for residents too.

Combined, the Tri-City region is getting a near $5.9-million slice of the pie — known as the Municipal Funding Program circa 2017 — for 19 projects across Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.

In a news release, TransLink says this is the first time all 23 local governments within its vicinity are receiving funds for pedestrian, cyclist, driver and transit user upgrades, including 2,600 km of roads in the Major Road Network (MRN).

“Our mandate is to think holistically about our transportation network and ensure that the people of Metro Vancouver have many efficient transportation options available to them,” says Interim CEO Gigi Chen-Kuo.

“Whether it’s helping to improve the sidewalks we walk on, the paths we roll on, or the roads we drive on – TransLink’s role goes far beyond transit.”

The Tri-City projects approved in the investment are as follows (in alphabetical order by community):

ANMORE

MRN multi-use pathway upgrades

• $187,000
• Construction of a three-metre-wide 2.4-kilometre multi-use pathway along the MRN corridor
  • The facility is set to ultimately connect with Ioco Road to provide a safe pedestrian and bike facility from Buntzen Lake and Inlet Centre SkyTrain station in Port Moody

BELCARRA

Bedwell Bay Road path

• $129,625
• The construction of a multi-use pathway along Bedwell Bay Road, from the Midden Road crosswalk at 4400-block Bedwell Bay Road to the Village entrance at 3200-block Bedwell Bay Road

Bedwell Bay safety barriers

• $37,500
• The installation of guard rails at five locations on MRN roads, over a three-year period to improve safety

Bedwell Bay Cats Eyes

• $19,875
• To grind 4" strips in the center of the road and install recessed Cats Eyes along the full length of Bedwell Bay Road
  • This is scheduled to be done over a three-year period in order to improve safety and orientation for drivers during limited visibility conditions

COQUITLAM

Gatensbury Street multi-use pathway

• $1,161,000
• The construction of a three-metre-wide multi-use pathway on the west side of Gatensbury Street from Port Moody border; continuation of constructed multi-use pathway in Port Moody to Regan Avenue (Como Lake Park)

Lighting on Mariner Way

• $600,000
• Upgrading streetlighting along Mariner Way from Como Lake Avenue to Dewdney Trunk Road such that it meets the city's current lighting standards and guidelines. Upgrading lighting along this corridor will improve safety at low visibility conditions and at night.

City centre pedestrian improvements

• $305,000
• Pedestrian improvement projects in Coquitlam city centre area
  • The application comprises four projects in the city centre, all of which are within 800 metres of a rapid transit station and highly used by a large volume of pedestrians. These projects improve pedestrian realm and safety in the city centre

Mariner Way Como Lake intersection

• $250,000
• The scope entails Como Lake Avenue and Mariner Way intersection Improvements to increase safety at this intersection by implementing a number of changes to the intersection. These changes and measures will improve the safety and operation of the intersection

United Boulevard multi-use pathway

• $200,000
• The construction of approximately 265 metres of multi-use pathway along the north side of United Boulevard from King Edward Overpass to 999 United Boulevard to tie into existing infrastructure

Harbourview sidewalks

• $183,000
• This project involves the construction of sidewalks in the Harbourview neighborhood 
  • These sidewalks provide pedestrian/wheelchair access to a number of highly used bus stops along Como Lake Avenue. These sidewalks also provide accessible pedestrian connections within Harbourview Elementary's catchment area connecting directly to the school and Chineside Park. Currently, there are missing gaps/entire sidewalks along the mentioned roads; the area is frequented by parents and students

Left Turn Bays

• $150,000
• This project consists of two left turn projects on MRN roads 
  • The first one improves safety for left turning vehicles from eastbound David Avenue onto Pipeline Road. The second one adds a left turn bay and increases capacity on Pinetree Way, reducing delays on Pinetree Way

Lougheed pedestrian bridge

• $120,000
• Lougheed Hwy Pedestrian Bridge seismic upgrade

Coquitlam bus loop

• $100,000
• A study to investigate traffic operations and infrastructure improvements to reduce bus delay along Barnet/Lougheed Hwy/Pinetree Way corridors and intersecting streets, with a focus on access/egress at Coquitlam Central transit exchange

PORT COQUITLAM

Donald multi-use pathway

• $600,000
• Two hundred metres of the Donald Street pathway from Wilson Avenue to McAllister Avenue
  • The Donald Street Path was recently transformed from a vehicular road to a pedestrian use only facility between Wilson and Central Avenues. Extension of the path through the City Hall grounds to McAllister Avenue is planned to have a similar, consistent cross section

Lougheed Highway

• $566,000
• Improvements to a one-kilometre section of Lougheed Highway are proposed in coordination with the CQ River Bridge replacement 
  • This is a critical transportation corridor on the MRN that supports travel through the region. Road design incorporates Lougheed B-Line bus stops, transit priority improvements, road widening, and pedestrian/cycling enhancements from Westwood Street to Shaughnessy Street. Design is planned for 2023 and construction in 2024

Prairie Avenue multi-use pathway

• $320,000
• The construction of a multi-use path on Prairie Avenue from Coast Meridian Road to Fremont Street, as part of a corridor road improvement project 
  • The improvements will introduce new cycling facilities to this key arterial road in addition to traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements

McAllister multi-use pathway

• $79,000
• The project includes design and rehabilitation of 250 metres of McAllister Avenue extending from Shaughnessy Street to Mary Hill Road 
  • The proposed scope of work includes a three-metre multi-use path, road paving, widened sidewalks, shared commercial space with restaurants, parking, treed boulevards, utility upgrades, and undergrounding of overhead wiring. The multi-use pathway on McAllister will connect to the Donald Street multi-use pathway which extends through downtown Port Coquitlam from McAllister to Central Avenue 

PORT MOODY

St. Johns Street mixed-use pathway - Phase One

• $842,000
• Phase one of a two-phase project for cycling amenities on St. Johns Street
  • Phase one will provide an off-street mixed-use pathway on the south side of St. Johns Street between Moody Street and Barnet Highway/Albert Street. The mixed-use pathway will be roughly two to three metres south of the existing south curb for blocks between Grant Street and Albert Street. The project will include traffic signal crossing treatments at four existing ones for the mixed-use pathway and a new traffic signal at St. Johns Street at Elgin Street

Clarke Road and Cecile Drive intersection study

• $29,200
• The completion of an intersection safety study and review intersection improvement recommendations to assist and improve traffic flow with the left-turn movement from Cecile Drive onto northbound Clarke Road