Resident near Coquitlam Crunch says neighbourhood traffic has 'skyrocketed'

VANCOUVER -- A Coquitlam resident says the traffic in her neighbourhood has exploded as fitness lovers flock to a popular nearby hike.

Andrea Huszar-Wolff, who lives near the Coquitlam Crunch, says the volume of cars in her area has "skyrocketed" since the early spring, with some people doing U-turns in her driveway or stopping in the middle of the street to wait for a spot.

"We have constant, constant activity outside of our homes," she told CTV News Tuesday. "We have people driving into our driveways, and it's been a monumental shift since the middle of March in terms of activity at the Crunch."

The Crunch is a popular fitness challenge that features a 2.2 kilometre uphill climb with more than 890 steps.

Huszar-Wolff says she spoke to seven residents who live above and below the trail, and all of them told her they'd experienced a "negative impact" from the increased use of the Crunch. Some of them also told her they had also called the city to complain.

She spoke to the city's bylaw department in early April, but was told that unless the cars were parked within two metres of her driveway, there was nothing they could do.

"We've always tried to be polite. We've indicated 'Hey, there's more parking down the street,' or we've said, you know, 'Please don't U-turn into my driveway because I'm standing right here', and that's very intimidating when it's your front yard," she said.

Huszar-Wolff says she'd like to see Crunch users directed to the existing parking lot, and "No U-turn" and "resident only" parking signs installed. She's also launched a petition to the city.

"All we're asking for is to direct the traffic to an existing parking lot down the street so that these spots are available for residents and their guests," she said. "We can't even have people over because we've got people constantly using the Crunch using all of the residential parking spaces."

Jaime Boan, Coquitlam's general manager of engineering and public works, says the city is working on a response to address residents' concerns around parking and safety.

"While we are pleased that residents are seeking local opportunities to be active during the pandemic, this can create some issues around popular destinations," Boan said in an emailed statement.

The city says it plans to install signs in about two weeks that would restrict U-turns on Landsdowne Drive and ask drivers not to do three-point turns in driveways.

It also plans to eventually double the capacity of the nearby parking lot from 30 to 60 stalls and improve signage directing people to the lot. ​

Visitors will also be encouraged to use another lot located at the south end of the trail at Runnel Drive, and the city says it plans to install a pedestrian signal across Guildford Way to improve access to that section of the Crunch.

Boan says the city does not plan to create more resident-only parking areas and hopes the new measures will help reduce the demand for street parking near the Crunch.

In addition to increased costs associated with managing and enforcing resident-only parking areas, the city says street parking is a "public asset intended for the use of everyone."

"With resident-only parking programs, each resident is typically limited to the number of spaces they can utilize," Boan said, adding that this can create issues when people host parties or if they have tenants or adult children with vehicles. "It can simply shift the parking issue, resulting in the city receiving complaints from neighbouring areas and subsequently having to take additional actions there."