Residents of Port Moody love their city.
But, according to the results of Port Moody’s latest community satisfaction survey which is to be presented to council at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 8, almost half say their quality of life in the city has declined over the past three years.
The biennial survey, conducted by market research firm Ipsos, invited 8,000 random Port Moody households to participate in the online poll, between July 19 and Aug. 16, 2024, of which 1,118 residents responded.
Of those, 94 per cent said their overall quality of life in the city is very good or good. The percentage was even higher among younger respondents; 98 per cent of residents 18 to 34 years rated their quality of life as good or very good, versus 93 per cent of those over the age of 35.
But 42 per cent of the survey’s participants said the quality of life in Port Moody has declined; another 37 per cent said it’s stayed the same while 12 per cent said it has improved.
The perception of a declining quality of life was highest among residents over the age of 35, those living in single detached houses, homeowners and people who’ve lived in the city for more than 21 years.
Residents who said quality of life in Port Moody has declined cited growth and development (44 per cent) and traffic (29 per cent) as primary reasons, while city services and infrastructure not keeping up with the pace of development (seven per cent), cost of living (six per cent), city leadership and governance (five per cent) as well as higher taxes (four per cent) also caught their ire.
The 12 per cent of residents who said quality of life in Port Moody has improved over the past three years credited factors like growth and development (15 per cent), more places for shopping (14 per cent), the city’s parks, trails and green space (13 per cent) as well as city leadership and governance (10 per cent).
Ipsos also drilled into local issues of concern to residents. They include:
- traffic congestion (39 per cent)
- growth and development (35 per cent)
- social issues (14 per cent)
- parks, recreation and culture (12 per cent)
- environment (10 per cent)
While 66 per cent of survey respondents said they feel they’re getting good value for their taxes and utility fees, there were several suggestions for improvements. They include:
- swimming pools (13 per cent)
- parks, green space and trails (13 per cent)
- recreation (11 per cent)
- traffic congestion (eight per cent)
- maintenance and condition of roads (five per cent)
As for council’s performance, 44 per cent of respondents said they’re satisfied or very satisfied with the job they’re doing, while 63 per cent said they’re happy with the performance of city staff.
Port Moody’s manager of communications and engagement, Lindsay Todd, said the results of the survey will help guide the city’s strategic planning, budgeting and decision making.
This year’s survey was the first conducted entirely online.
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