Port Moody’s Spring Street corridor east of Moody Street needs to be “less car-centric,” says the city’s mayor.
Tuesday, March 18, council’s city initiatives and planning committee sent a plan for the “spine” that runs through several major new developments that have already been approved or are in the approval process back to the drawing board to make it safer and more pleasant for pedestrians.
One way would be to make Spring Street one-way, said Mayor Meghan Lahti.
“One-way is just not about wider walkways. We need to look at reducing conflicts in that road space.”
But in a presentation to councillors, Port Moody planner Jim McIntyre said restricting the flow of traffic to just one direction creates challenges for emergency and transit vehicles, deliveries and residents. He added it could even put the financial viability of a 41,000-square-foot grocery store that’s part of a proposal by Vancouver-based PCI Developments to construct two 39-storey rental towers along Spring Street at risk.
“There are some drawbacks with this,” McIntyre said of the one-way plan.
But Lahti said she was “frustrated” all those drawbacks centred around the movement of vehicles in a neighbourhood that’s supposed to oriented for residents and visitors to use transit, walking, micro-mobility devices and cycling to get around.
“There was every excuse not to do a one-way,” Lahti said of the staff presentation. “We’re designing a transit-oriented area about cars.”
McIntyre conceded between the roadway, some allowances for parking spots, a shared micro-mobility path, boulevards for planters and trees as well as more space for pedestrians, “there’s a lot happening in this corridor.”
“The area is quite narrow,” he said. “We’ve really got just one east-west spine and vehicles in the area will be a necessity.”
Coun. Callan Morrison said staff is trying to accomplish too much in Spring Street’s narrow confines.
“It’s a very cramped space and every aspect is suffering a little bit by doing all of it.”
Coun. Kyla Knowles suggested one option to reclaim space from vehicles would be to limit any parking to commercial loading spots.
“My concern is we’re going to get people driving up and down Spring Street looking for parking.”
Port Moody’s general manager of engineering and operations, Jeff Moi, told councillors staff does have models for a one-way Spring Street that it did consider. But they focused on narrowing the roadway so sidewalks could be widened.
Moi said those models will be revisited to bring a new plan back to the committee.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in the Tri-Cities? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to newsroom@tricitynews.com.
📲 Want to stay updated on Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
💬 Words missing in an article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
