Since 2001, Metro Vancouver has grown by 48%, and the Tri-Cities welcomed about 84,000 new residents, most of whom settled in Coquitlam. While SkyTrain opened in 2016, much of the growth has occurred outside convenient access to transit, such as Burke Mountain. Geography, rail lines, and our location within Metro Vancouver constrain Port Moody’s road network and have generated significant through traffic on our two major routes (St. Johns and Murray), as residents of neighbouring municipalities pass through Port Moody on their commute or daily activities.

I’ve seen suggestions such as:

• adding more lanes along Murray and St Johns,
• “reconfiguring” the existing road network,
• improving left turns from eastbound (EB) Murray and St Johns onto Ioco-northbound (NB),
• synchronizing lights, and
• (re)exploring the Murray-Clarke Connector.

So what is the city doing about it? And will any of these suggestions work?

Let’s start by looking at the vehicle data and traffic modelling from past studies. The St Johns/Barnet intersection, on a typical weekday (Tuesday – Thursday), has eastbound through volume of 11,500 vehicles per day, while left turn volumes are approximately 8,450 vehicles per day. During the evening (PM) peak hour, approximately 1,100 vehicles travel through this intersection, heading east; about 800 vehicles turn left during the same time period. This is the busiest intersection in Port Moody.

The second busiest intersection in Port Moody is Guildford/Murray at Ioco.

During this term, Council has discussed and advanced three major projects aimed at improving mobility in our city:

• Guildford Way Bicycle Facility Improvements Project, September 9, 2025, CIPC, Item 4.1
• St. Johns Street Phase 2 ‐ Transportation Upgrades, April 21, 2026, CIPC, Item 4.1 with Final Technical Memo, April 13, 2026, Attachment 1
• Barnet Highway Eastbound at CPKC Bridge Widening
  • April 21, 2026, CIPC, Item 4.2
  • June 16, 2026, CIPC, Item 4.2

A. Guildford Way and Ioco Intersection

The Guildford Way project improves cyclist and pedestrian safety, with a bi-directional bike path on the north side of Guildford, tying in with the uni-directional lanes on the Coquitlam side. It also includes dual left turn lanes eastbound on Murray (turning onto Ioco northbound) to reduce left turn queuing. The project addresses safety issues at this intersection. The budgeted cost is approximately $2 million with ~$1 million from a Translink grant.

B. St. Johns Phase 2

The St. Johns Phase 2 project includes a number of immediate actions:

• Switch the existing westbound HOV lane to an eastbound HOV lane as the greatest volume of traffic occurs in the evening rush hour. Outside of peak hours, this lane would be used for parking.
• Add a bidirectional bike lane on the north side, connecting the multi-use path at Moody St to the overpass.
• Add right turn bays to maintain westbound capacity.

Traffic modelling found that the eastbound HOV lane during the evening peak may be up to two minutes faster than general purpose lanes.

As redevelopment occurs, and the city acquires more right of way (ROW), the bike lane would be moved to the boulevard (uni-directional). The full build-out with separated bike lanes will occur over a number of years, once the full 35 m ROW is secured. Next steps are for staff to finalize the design and report back with cost estimates, cost-sharing opportunities and a proposed implementation plan.

In the interim, this project will fill a gap in the cycling network, and improve the evening rush hour for commuters. This project is closely tied to the CPKC Overpass Widening project.

C. Barnet Highway/CPKC Overpass Widening

On June 16, 2026, at the City Initiatives and Planning Committee, Council voted for Option B – Variant 1, which widens the eastbound bridge by one lane, providing two left turn lanes over the length of the bridge and two through lanes with a 2 m wide path on the south side. This is the fastest to implement option, costing $2.8 million. This work will be integrated into the seismic upgrade, which has Translink funding.

This project addresses left-turning capacity. Combined with St. Johns Phase 2, this project will improve vehicle movement through Port Moody, though staff noted that the extra bridge lane could attract additional traffic, known as latent (induced) demand. The city has also made changes at the Dewdney/St. Johns intersection which have improved safety without reducing traffic capacity.

D. Traffic Cameras for Adaptive Signal Timing

In 2025, the city completed the first phase of the St Johns Corridor Video Detection upgrade. This project modernizes traffic management with advanced video detection technology, replacing the traditional in-ground loop sensors. Video detection enables remote monitoring of intersections, among other benefits. Once complete, the traffic cameras will allow for adaptive signal timing, meaning the system will dynamically adjust to real-time conditions and will help reduce delays and improve travel time.

Summary

The Murray-Clarke Connector is not a near-term solution. It has been explored many times over the past decades, but senior levels of government declined to provide funding. Adding capacity without addressing regional demand is likely to induce more vehicles to use this route through Port Moody without corresponding benefit.

This term, Council has chosen to focus on projects that more specifically benefit our taxpayers. These projects are feasible, funded in part by Translink grants, and can be delivered in the near term.

So those are the projects currently in process, each one a step towards better mobility. Looking ahead, I’ll continue to advocate for #ungapthemapcurrently: connecting our bike routes within Port Moody and to neighbouring routes so that people of all ages and abilities can safely walk and roll across our city.  

St Johns Phase 2 project will close a major gap, but we still have work to do – along Ioco (some improvements will be made during utility upgrades), the route to Sasamat, and linking Suter Brook and Klahanie more directly. These connections aren’t just nice-to-haves; they are essential for giving people more choice in how to move throughout our city. 

Learn more about city transportation initiatives here:

• Traffic Calming and Safety
• Road Work and Construction
• TranPort Moody – our master transportation plan