Ask RMCyclist: How to Bike to Meadowtown Mall from Downtown Maple Ridge
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A frequent question from newcomers or those new to cycling in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows is how to get from someplace to a popular destination using a comfortable route, one which is relatively free of high volume vehicular traffic.
One such natural destination is a utilitarian trip to Superstore and other retail outlets at Meadowtown Mall in Pitt Meadows, bordering Maple Ridge….
And hence the ever popular question of how to get there from centre town or the east side of Maple Ridge.
No kidding.
For those who are new to cycling in Maple Ridge and try to figure out on the map how to get there safely – along Lougheed Highway, on first intuition – the answer might as well be that famous “You can’t get there from here”.
One can be forgiven for making such a discouraging assessment: one glance at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road leading to the Meadowtown Mall entrance would lead one to swiftly conclude that getting to the mall from the Maple Ridge side by bike or on foot is an alien concept meant to be exorcised from your head by the original road designers.
Meadowtown Mall entrance approach from Maple Ridge side of Lougheed Highway.
But despair not! In this post we will describe a relatively comfortable cycling route from downtown Maple Ridge to Meadowtown Mall, so that you can get back with a jug of milk plus some groceries relatively free of drama.
A good portion of the route is on 117th Ave. and Thorne Ave. 117th Ave. is one of the best east-west routes for cycling in Maple Ridge with relatively light traffic, although one would have to contend with a number of stop signs on 117th Ave.
Overall, the route is a little under 7 km one-way and on flat terrain. Most of the route is made up of quiet streets and multi-use paths, making it suitable for riders who prefer not to ride on the road alongside fast and/or heavy car traffic.
The same route would also take you to Osprey Village in Pitt Meadows, a popular waterfront destination for locals. See Ask RMCyclist: Comfortable Bike Route to Osprey Village from Downtown Maple Ridge for more details.
Refer to the map above for the notes below.
The route above starts at Haney Place Mall in downtown Maple Ridge (Selkirk and 224th St.).
Go west on Selkirk. Turn left on 220th and then a quick right to Wicklow Way. ❶
Alternatively start the ride on the new multi-use path on Loughheed Highway and 222nd St.. Go west and turn right on 220th St..
Turn left (west) on Donovan Ave.
Turn left (south) on 216th St.
Go toward Lougheed Highway. At the Lougheed intersection, turn right (west) onto the multiuse path running along Lougheed.
Turn left (south) on Laity St. Watch out for the pinch point and curb extension squeezing you onto traffic on Laity after crossing the Lougheed intersection (see image below). ❷
Take the first right (Cutler Pl.), first left (212th St.) and then right again onto 117th Ave.
Go west on 117th Ave. to 207th St. Turn right and then a quick left onto Thorne Ave. ❸
Follow Thorne to 203rd Ave. Cross 203rd onto trail (see image below). ❹
Trail from 203rd Ave. to Hammond Road
Same trail to 203rd Ave. from Hammond Rd.
Emerge from the trail and turn right (north-west) on Hammond Rd.
Follow Hammond Rd (turns into West St.) and turn left (west) on Dunn Ave.. At the traffic lights, cross Maple Meadows Way into Meadowtown Mall. (Note, to go Osprey Village, turn left on Maple Meadows Way. See Ask RMCyclist: Comfortable Bike Route to Osprey Village from Downtown Maple Ridge.)
Images: Google Maps
