THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF PORT COQUITLAM

2272 McALLISTER AVENUE *
PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. ¢
V3C 2AG

TELEPHONE: 941.5411

OUR FiLe

July 25, 1984,

Mr. Re. Freebody,

-3926 Coast Meridian Road,
Port Coquitlam, 6.C.

V3B 3P4

Dear Sir:

f am replying to your petition of June 21st, 1984 on
behalf of the Works. and Services Committee which has now had an
opportunity to review the problem yeu presented at the July 3rd
meeting of the Committee. — - ;

Several members of the Committee have spent time on the.

street observing the behaviour of the horses and riders. It was
noted that the majority of riders ‘did use the road rather than the
boulevard. The Committee also saw littie evidence that the

boulevards wera being damaged by horses.

[ft was pointed out by the By-Law Officer that the City
‘does have the authority to pass a by-law prohibiting the use of
boulevards by horse and rider. However, It the City were to do
this, “it would be going against two principles which we feel are
quite ftmportant. First of all a prahtibdttion of riding on
boulevards would force all riders onto the’ road. This greatly
increases the risk of inexperienced riders or nervous horses
having accidents with motor vehicites. We must constder for
example the possibility that If a motorist behind a horse honks
his horn the horse may shy and throw the rider tnto the path of
the vehicie. With the exception of a few reckless riders
galloping close to somebody's fence or hedge, this situation is
far more dangerous than the possibliity of a person being struck
in the boulevard. The second principle is that the City is stilt
a semi-rural community and one of its attractions is the abliity
for people to own horses within the City limits and ride them.

Continued pg 2.