Infrastructure improvements provide greater safety along Port Moody’s busy St. Johns Street

The City of Port Moody has a population of approximately 33,500 residents (2021) and is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia. St. Johns Street is the main traffic corridor through Port Moody and originally had narrow sidewalks and no provisions for cyclists. The City sought to integrate active transportation facilities for all ages and abilities along this constrained corridor.

Public engagement confirmed the need for better walking and cycling infrastructure, the need to maintain access to local properties and businesses, as well as the importance of trees and landscaping to the community.

Associated Engineering served as the lead consultant for this active transportation project, led by our Vancouver-based transportation planning and traffic engineering group, with support from our infrastructure group and Red Deer-based landscape architecture staff. Our services included corridor and active transportation planning, traffic analysis, safety review, a HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane utilization study, stakeholder and public engagement, concept development, preliminary and detailed design, and tender and construction services, including contract administration and site inspection.

Associated undertook a conceptual and functional multi-modal transportation planning and engineering study along St. Johns Street from Ioco Road to Albert Street. Project Manager, Ana Varhaug, tells us, "We explored the potential removal of the existing HOV lanes, and repurposing the space for active modes. One of the challenges was that HOV-lane removal is unprecedented and required buy-in from TransLink, as St. Johns is part of their Major Road Network."

Our transportation planning and traffic engineering team developed decision criteria based on HOV-lane warrants, traffic operations, and transit performance data and developed a rationale for replacing the HOV lanes with active transportation facilities.

This evidence-based approach was able to concisely demonstrate that the existing HOV lanes are under-utilized and identified how the HOV-lane removal benefits sustainable transportation modes, thus supporting TransLink mode split objectives and the City of Port Moody’s Master Transportation Plan.

Associated supported the City in collaborating with TransLink to address their requirements. Monique Beaudry, National Discipline Lead, Transportation Planning, tells us, "As part of this work, we completed a review of the study corridor including traffic forecasting, traffic micro-simulation modelling and analysis using Vistro, and a safety assessment. As well, we developed initial concepts and prepared an HOV Lane Removal Report for stakeholder review."

In Phase Two of the project, Associated's team developed conceptual options for active transportation facilities on the study corridor. The preferred solution was selected through an options evaluation process and in consultation with key stakeholders and the public. Associated helped to facilitate the engagement meetings and provided engagement materials.

The project was endorsed by Port Moody's City Council and proceeded to preliminary and detailed design and construction of active transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities from the Barnet Highway to Moody Street, approximately 1.3 kilometres in length.

Associated prepared the detailed design, including the addition of bike lanes and multi-use pathways, widening of existing sidewalks, the addition of rain gardens into curb bulges, raised crosswalks, retaining wall design, streetlighting, landscaping (including streetscaping), and signage and pavement markings.

Associated delivered tender period services, and conducted site inspections and contract administration duties. Civil Engineer, Artem Zaporozhets, explains, "Construction was completed in August 2024, providing users with safer and more accessible active transportation connections and improved transit access."

Subconsultants supporting the project delivery included Evolve Traffic Solutions (traffic modelling), Braun (geotechnical), Diamondhead (arborist), and AES (electrical).

Associated's key personnel on the project include Ana Varhaug, Monique Beaudry, Breanna Jackson, Artem Zaporozhets, Chris Cheng, Alex Hackney, and Jason Bennett.