Car Free Day in the City of Port Coquitlam

The inaugural edition of Port Coquitlam's Car Free Day took place on Sunday, September 10th. The city shut down McAlister Drive in order to host the event which was a day full of free family-friendly activities.

Presented in part by the Downtown Port Coquitlam Business Improvement Association, the event included live entertainment, community booths, food vendors and electric vehicle displays.

Elder Marie Hooper of the Kwikwetlem First Nation addressed the crowd and spoke of the need to reduce carbon emissions by biking, walking and other earth friendly modes of transportation. She acknowledged that current transport systems come with a wide range of problems, including global warming, environmental degradation and health implications.

The City of Port Coquitlam has a very well defined downtown core and is doing its best to make the city a walkable city with many of it's new amenities, such as the new community centre, within walking distance of it's central core.

Brad West, mayor of Port Coquitlam, spoke of the vision citizens have for the future of the city's downtown. "[Citizens] want a downtown that is lively, that has a variety of amazing public spaces and amenities that's home to a large number of cool places to shop, eat, drink and be entertained... They want a downtown that is safe, that is welcoming, that's accessible and walkable... that kind of sounds like exactly what we've got going on here right now!"

West went on to detail upcoming plans aimed at further enhancing the downtown, including strategic land purchases, enhancements to Lee Square that will tie into work already done nearby and the extension of McDonald Pathway.