Trail Network Plan

The Draft Trail Network Plan was developed after a review of the trail network's current state, best management practices, challenges and opportunities, and engagement with local organizations and residents of Port Moody.

Vision

The following vision, which aims to capture the essential elements of Port Moody's ideal future trail network, was developed after consultation with the community and City staff:

"Port Moody’s trail network provides residents and visitors with recreational opportunities and connections to enjoy Port Moody’s natural areas and community spaces through active transportation."

The plan also sets guiding principles that Port Moody Council and City staff will follow as they prioritize enhancements and manage trails over the next 30 years.

The implementation of this plan will help to achieve a trail system that:

• benefits our community through active recreation and connection with nature;
• is accessible to all users across the city;
• integrates with the active transportation network to facilitate travel and reduce dependence on cars;
• is easy to navigate with adequate wayfinding and connections between neighborhoods and community amenities; and
• encourages community stewardship of natural areas through partnerships, programs, and events.

Goals

There are four overarching goals, each with supporting actions:

1. Goal 1: provide a high-quality experience to a variety of trail users
   • actions under this goal focus on improving user experience and trail amenities
2. Goal 2: connect the community to provide recreation and active transportation opportunities for all
   • actions under this goal focus on expanding and connecting the trail network to provide more and better opportunities for Port Moody residents and visitors to access trails, and on maintenance and improvements to provide a high-quality experience for trail users
3. Goal 3: protect culturally and environmentally sensitive areas and resources
   • actions under this goal focus on supporting reconciliation with local First Nations, protecting environmentally sensitive areas, and promoting public art along trails
4. Goal 4: encourage and support stewardship of Port Moody’s trails and the environmentally sensitive areas they travel through
   • actions under this goal focus on furthering stewardship programs and partnerships to improve trail maintenance and access

The Draft Trail Network Plan details 54 actions, with key core actions that are central to realizing the vision and goals:

• update maintenance budgets and develop capital plans to provide adequate maintenance and trail construction budget to meet the Plan’s desired trail conditions and new trails (actions 19, 20, and 21);
• identify, prioritize, and remove barriers to universal accessibility on urban multi-use and urban nature trails (actions 4 and 22);
• build new trails across the city and as much as possible within each neighbourhood, prioritizing areas with lower service levels and desired connections identified in the Plan (action 14)
• work with local First Nations to protect and honour culturally important sites through improved trail planning and construction practices and initiatives such as interpretation signage or trail naming (actions 30-34);
• ensure that all trail construction includes an environmental assessment and protects sensitive environmental features near trails (actions 35 and 36); and
• renew the Tri-Cities Off Road Cycling Association’s maintenance service and stewardship agreement to include maintenance of new mountain bike primary trails (action 49).

Review the full list of actions in the Draft Trail Network Plan.

The Draft Trail Network Plan identifies proposed new trail routes and desired connections to expand Port Moody’s trail network within parks and green spaces, and within urban/residential areas (pending environmental assessments as well as future funding, partnerships, and grants). The proposed trail network extension would be achieved through the formalization of unauthorized trails and/or construction of new routes. Overall, the proposed trail network extension is intended to provide:

• more trails in parks and greenspaces, for example new trails in Chines Park and an extension to the Shoreline Trail, including consideration for new mountain biking primary trails;
• more connections between parks, for example from Chines Park to Rocky Point Park and from Old Orchard Park to Bert Flinn Park;
• improved urban multi-use paths/bike routes to connect the Glenayre, Seaview, and College Park neighbourhoods with Moody Centre and with Burnaby Mountain and Coquitlam trails;
• completion of a regional greenway connecting Pleasantside to Belcarra and Coronation Park to Coquitlam; and
• desired trail and urban route connections in areas where further studies will be required to confirm the feasibility of establishing new trails.

The map below shows the proposed trail network extension:

Click here to view a full-size map

Engagement on the Trail Network Plan

Work on the Trail Network Plan began in the spring of 2023 and is expected to be completed in early 2025. Community engagement will take place in two phases. In the fall of 2023, we focused on informing the public about the project and seeking input on public aspirations and concerns for the trail network.

Phase 1:

In September/October 2023, we asked for your thoughts on the current network of trails in Port Moody and how it could be improved:

• we collected location-specific feedback and recommendations via an interactive map;
• we hosted two trailhead pop-up events in September at Bert Flinn Park and the along the Shoreline Trail; and
• we collected input via a community survey open from August 30 to October 4, 2023.

The Phase 1 public engagement summary (see item 7.6 in the Council meeting agenda package) was shared with Council on January 9, 2024.

Youth engagement: On May 31, 2024, the City hosted a Youth Open House, an engagement opportunity for youth to provide input on three parks/trails planning projects: Rocky Point Park and Old Orchard Park Master Plans, Parkland Strategy, and Trail Network Plan. City staff presented a summary of engagement results at the Regular Council Meeting on July 23, 2024. See item 7.6 in the July 23 agenda package to view staff’s report and the attached youth engagement summary.

The development of Port Moody’s Trail Network Plan will be guided by the Official Community Plan (2014), Master Transportation Plan (2017), and Climate Action Plan (2020). It will contribute to the implementation of parks and recreation goals from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2015), including:

• natural environment: protect and celebrate nature as a destination
• healthy active living: increase parkland, facilities, programs, and services as the population grows
• beautify the community: provide easy access to nature for all residents
• connectivity and accessibility: expand the trail and bikeway systems to link existing trails with each other, considering multiple trail uses; and consider active transportation as a whole, integrating trails with bikeways, and considering the interrelationships with vehicular access, parking, and links to surrounding communities
• facilities to meet needs: expand multi-use opportunities in buildings, parks, trails and public spaces