Open House & Feedback – Thorne Ave Active Transportation Upgrades
The City of Maple Ridge is planning active transportation upgrades along Thorne Ave, between 203 Street and 207 Street, with connections to Hammond Road and 117 Avenue. The project proposes several design options to improve cycling and walking infrastructure.
When complete, this corridor will link existing cycling infrastructure along 117 Avenue and Lougheed Highway to the east with Hammond Road to the west.
Backdrop
Thorne Ave and 117 Avenue form a key east–west route between 203 Street and Laity Street, connecting further east along a multi-use path on the north side of Lougheed that leads toward downtown Maple Ridge.
The 117 route, of which Thorne Ave is a part, is one of the few safer east–west cycling routes in Maple Ridge (the other being 123 Avenue north of Dewdney Trunk Road). In contrast, Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road are generally considered unsafe for cycling, used mostly by only cyclists considered ‘strong and fearless’.
- East end: At 207 Street, Thorne Ave connects with 117 Avenue, where a multi-use path runs east to Laity Street (see 117th Ave Multi-use Path – First Look). From there, it continues north to Lougheed Highway and then east toward downtown Maple Ridge.
- West end: At 203 Street, Thorne Ave connects to a recently built multi-use path on Hammond Road (see First Look: Multi-use Path on Hammond at 203rd and Safety Concerns at Hammond Road Multi-Use Path Intersection) via an off-road dirt path. From Hammond, riders can reach destinations such as Meadowtown Mall, Osprey Village, and the Golden Ears Bridge.
Thorne Ave was once a relatively quiet road, making it a popular choice for people who did not feel safe riding beside heavy traffic. However, since the removal of tolls on the Golden Ears Bridge, traffic volumes in the area have increased significantly.
Because of its importance, Thorne Ave has long been a focus of the local HUB Cycling committee. Committee members have held ongoing discussions with city engineers and planners about proposed active transportation designs for this corridor.
Design Options
The city has presented four design options, offering different combinations of multi-use paths, one-way cycle tracks, and street parking.
Option 1 Multi-use path with street parking on both sides
- Multi-use path on the north side of Thorne Ave
- Sidewalk on the south
- Street parking on both sides
Option 2: Multi-use path with street parking on south side
- Multi-use path on the north side of Thorne Ave.
- Sidewalk on the south
- Street parking on the south side
Note: In Option 1, the buffer (city right-of-way) between the multi-use path and adjacent properties is reduced in order to accommodate the parking lanes on the both sides.
Option 3: One-way cycle tracks on both sides
- Uni-directional cycle tracks on both the north and south sides
- Sidewalks on both sides
- Street parking on the south side
- South-side cycle track buffered from parked cars and separated from the sidewalk; north-side cycle track with a smaller buffer with car lane
Option 4: Bi-directional cycle track on the north side
- Two-way cycle track on the north side, adjacent to the sidewalk
- Sidewalk on the south side
- Street parking on the south side
Intersaction on 203rd St. New multi-use path connects to Hammond multi-use path on left.
Our Recommendation
HUB Cycling strongly supports Option 3 (one-way cycle tracks on both sides). This design offers the greatest safety and comfort:
- People walking and people cycling/rolling can each have their own space:
- Important to separate (slow) people walking and (faster) people cycling, even more so as numbers of e-bikes and e-scooters increase.
- People cycling and rolling move in the same direction as traffic.
- They are where drivers expect them to be. This is more intuitive and safer for all road users.
- This designated bike route has high potential for growth of cycling traffic. It’s important to optimize convenience, safety and comfort for all people walking, cycling and rolling.
HUB Local Committee does not support bi-directional multi-use paths/bike lanes in this location, because:
- Bi-directional nature increases potential for conflict among users (options #1, #2 and #4).
- Bi-directional paths are not recommended on streets with frequent driveways and side streets: too much potential for conflict with motor vehicles (#1, #2, #4).
- Especially when cycling in the opposite direction of traffic (i.e. where drivers do not expect them to be), drivers are less likely to watch out for people cycling (#1, #2, #4).
- Multi-use paths tend to lead to more conflict between users (#1, #2).
Provide Your Feedback
The city is currently collecting feedback from residents. You can participate in two ways:
Online survey – Fill out the survey on the City’s project page (scroll to the bottom). The survey is open from September 18 to October 8, 2025.
Open house – Attend in person and share your input:
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
4:00–8:00 PM
Riverside Centre, Ridge Meadows College
20575 Thorne Ave
Things to ask for:
- Traffic calming. Speeding continues to be an issue on this street and impacts livability and safety.
- Continuous pathways through intersections and driveways (i.e. sidewalks and bike lanes need to be kept elevated through driveway access and side streets). This is for improved safety of people walking and cycling and makes drivers more aware of the crossings; makes them slow down.
Continuous pathway through a driveway
Why Your Input Matters
The Thorne/117 Avenue cycling corridor is one of Maple Ridge’s most important east–west routes. A safe, well-designed cycling facility here will enable people to travel between downtown Maple Ridge and key destinations on the west side, including Meadowtown Mall, Osprey Village, Pitt Meadows, and the Golden Ears Bridge.
It’s important that the city hears support for the safest option. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey or attend the open house and make your voice heard.
Feedback is welcome by shooting us a email at mapleridge-pittmeadows@bikehub.ca.
