Traffic on Port Moody's Moray Street has slowed and a pilot project to make the busy commuter route safer for motorists and pedestrians should become permanent.
That's the recommendation of a staff report to be presented to the city's transportation committee tonight (May 17).
In the report, auxiliary traffic engineer Geoffrey Keyworth said temporary traffic calming measures that were installed in July and August of 2022 slowed motorists by five to six km/h according to observations made before the pilot project began and twice afterwards.. Some of the measures included:
- painting new lane lines and centre medians
- installing plastic delineators to establish new temporary curbs and centre medians
- constructing new concrete letdowns and installing signs at the new Pinda Drive crosswalk
- putting in a temporary sidewalk on the west side of Moray, south of the Pinda Drive crosswalk
The temporary measures cost $70,000.
Keyworth said, while residents were generally supportive of the calming effort, there were some criticisms.
Concerns included the unattractiveness of the rows of white and plastic delineators that created a chicane effect on the road, the difficulties for large vehicles to negotiate the new lanes and the access for snow clearing and emergency vehicles.
Keyworth said the temporary nature of the calming project demanded it be highly visible "to differentiate from the surrounding environment."
He added any permanent structures would be less obtrusive and built "with typical construction techniques seen throughout the city."
In his report, Keyworth noted garbage collection trucks and snow plows did have some challenges turning onto Moray from side streets, but permanent traffic calming measures would be refined to better accommodate them.
As well, the city will work with neighbouring Coquitlam to come up with a better plan for cyclists, who lost their lane up Moray Street to make room for the new configuration.
Staff is recommending $75,000 be added to the capital budget to complete detailed design for the permanent traffic calming measures.
SOUND OFF: What do you think about the traffic calming effort on Moray Street? Has it changed the way you use the street? Do you feel safer? Send us a Letter to the Editor. Be sure to include your full name and city of residence.
