Buntzen Lake parking program deemed "successful" despite locals' frustrations

BC Hydro deems Buntzen Lake parking program "successful" despite locals' frustrations

BC Hydro is touting the success of its reserved parking system at Buntzen Lake, but some locals in the Tri-Cities say the program prevents them from accessing nature that’s close to home.

BC Hydro, which operates the recreation area associated with reservoir Buntzen Lake, introduced a pilot parking program this summer to address congestion at the popular summer water destination.

Parking used to be first-come-first-served at the Anmore lake, but from June 27 to Labour Day this year users had to reserve a free parking pass online to gain access to the lot.

“This year, nearly the same number of people visited Buntzen as in recent years but the parking reservation system eliminated the frustration of showing up and finding the gate closed,” Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam, said in a Thursday news release.

Our free pilot parking reservation system for Buntzen Lake this summer was successful in reducing traffic congestion and improving safety. News release: https://t.co/bsVib9bpZs #AnmoreBC #PortMoody pic.twitter.com/O23lF3eerG

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) September 15, 2022

But some locals are frustrated by the program, saying it prevents them from using the nearby park.

Riti Chrea is an avid hiker who lives in Port Moody. He wakes up at 5 am and usually gets an early start to his weekend adventures. But parking reservations at Buntzen open up at midnight, and Chrea said he can’t stay up that late to snag a spot.

“There’s two types of people. One that lives away from the Tri-City area, and they want to make sure that when they go to Buntzen Lake they have a spot. Which I get… But then there are cases like us where we definitely want to go but because of this reservation policy it’s harder for us.”

Chrea is also frustrated because he hears from friends that there are frequently empty spots in the lot because people who reserved didn’t show up.

In a news release, BC Hydro admitted that approximately one-third of all reservations this summer were no-shows.

Chrea asked whether BC Hydro should oversell parking reservations or leave some of the spots first-come-first-served to make it easier for locals.

He lives about a five-minute drive from Buntzen Lake, and he says the reservation system takes away spontaneity. He can no longer visit the park after work on a whim.

“I absolutely understand what they’re trying to achieve in trying to mitigate traffic,” he said. “I just think there could be an improved solution to it.”

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Alexandra, another Port Moody resident who wanted to be identified by only her first name, told Daily Hive she lives a seven-minute drive from Buntzen Lake but hasn’t been able to go since reserved parking was introduced.

“There are so few off-leash dog areas around, especially with swimming spots, and Buntzen is by far one of the best,” she said. “And we literally couldn’t take [our dog] one single time this summer.”

She understands the reasoning behind the reservation system and thinks it’s a good idea on weekends. But she wants BC Hydro to scrap the reservation system on weekdays to give locals a chance to access the park.

“The lots were never full [on weekdays] before,” she said.

Locals have posted their frustrations to community Facebook groups as well, saying all passes get claimed within minutes of reservations opening at midnight.

Port Moody Community Group/Facebook

BC Hydro says it will work with feedback to improve the reservation system for 2023. But it also touted the success of the program.

The Buntzen Lake parking lot was only closed once during the summer because it was at capacity, compared to the 27 times the gates shut in Summer 2021.

“In previous years — and even right up to the weekend before the reservation system was in place — access to and from our Fire Hall was frequently blocked, excessive traffic congestion turned Sunnyside Road into a parking lot, and there was illegal parking throughout the community, including on private property,” Anmore Mayor John McEwen said in a statement.

BC Hydro also said it listened to some of the users’ concerns and added an all-day pass option after hikers complained the four-hour tickets wouldn’t allow them time to complete their routes.

“In the coming weeks and months, BC Hydro will review information collected during the pilot and stakeholder feedback and will provide information on plans for the summer of 2023,” the utility provider said.

As for now, the lot is first-come-first-served again until next summer.