A new, temporary crosswalk will be installed on Murray Street just east of the Moody Street overpass to make it safer for people crossing between Rocky Point Park and Brewers Row.
The interim crossing will be equipped with flashing beacons to alert drivers and temporary curb bulges to direct pedestrians to the marked crosswalk. Four parking spaces on the north side of Murray Street and two or three more on the south side will be eliminated to improve sightlines.
Port Moody’s director of engineering and operations, Jeff Moi, said the temporary crossing, which is in addition to the existing pedestrian crosswalk at the east end of the parking lot to Rocky Point Park, is a way to discourage jaywalking while the city works on a more permanent plan to deal with congestion along Murray Street. He said placing the new crossing at the foot of the pedestrian path leading off the Moody Street overpass makes it more likely people will use it.
“If we can accommodate them there, it’s less likely they’ll find another place to cross,” Moi said.
But Coun. Diana Dilworth said the addition of a second pedestrian crosswalk will likely increase frustration for motorists along the busy traffic corridor.
“Commuter traffic coming through the community heading east is quite painful, to say the least,” she said. “We may be making this much safer for pedestrians but it is at the expense of the efficient traffic movement of vehicles.”
Dilworth suggested adding a delay to the pedestrian-activated lights so traffic would have a chance to flow smoothly for a spell, but Moi said that’s not practical as there’s no legal requirement for pedestrians to stop before entering a marked crosswalk. He added the city would continue to employ traffic control people during busy summer weekends to help manage the flow of pedestrians across Murray.
Several improvements to the Murray Street corridor have been given priority in the city’s capital plan, including the extension of the bike path, addition of traffic signals and better pedestrian access to the Moody Centre SkyTrain station. But Moi said the design work for many of those won’t begin until fall, with construction targeted for this winter and next spring. The project could also comprise a complete reworking of Rocky Point parking lot, he added.
The new crosswalk is budgeted to cost $25,000 and Moi said the work will be expedited to have it in place as soon as possible.
