Satisfaction survey: quality of life is rated highly, traffic, growth/development are top issues

Perceptions of the overall quality of life in Port Moody today are overwhelmingly positive, with 94 per cent of residents rating the quality of life as good or very good, according to the results of the City’s 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey. When asked to share the most important issues facing the community, residents identified transportation and growth/development as the top local issues. 

“Every two years, the City conducts a survey to find out how residents are feeling about life in Port Moody,” says Mayor Meghan Lahti. “Insight gained from survey responses helps us understand residents’ needs and experiences, and helps guide us in our strategic planning, budgeting, and decision making. The 2024 survey confirms that most residents are experiencing a positive overall quality of life in the community and are satisfied with the level and quality of services provided by the City. 

“It also tells us where our residents have concerns, where they feel improvements are needed, and what suggestions they may have. We place great value on input from the public, and Council and staff will be taking all survey results into consideration as we move forward with budget discussions and other strategic planning. I would like to thank each participant who took the time to fill out the survey.” 

More than 1,100 residents completed the survey, which was conducted by Ipsos, a professional public opinion research company. The final data has been weighted to ensure the gender/age distribution reflects the actual population in Port Moody according to 2021 Census data from Statistics Canada. 

In past years, the Community Satisfaction Survey, formerly called the Citizen Survey, was conducted by landline telephone. Recognizing evolving technology and increasing use of cellphones, the 2024 survey was conducted online, with 8,000 households selected at random to receive an invitation via lettermail. This updated approach meant all Port Moody households had an equal chance of being included in the research. Due to the change in data collection methods, this year’s results cannot be directly compared to past surveys. 

Additional key findings include: 

Quality of life

• when considering overall quality of life in Port Moody, 60 per cent of residents rate it as good and 34 per cent rate it as very good, for a total of 94 per cent
• overall, 42 per cent of residents feel the quality of life in Port Moody has worsened over the past three years, while 37 per cent say it has stayed the same, and 12 per cent say it has improved
• among those who feel the quality of life has worsened, the most frequently mentioned reason (44 per cent of responses) is growth/development
• among those who feel the quality of life has improved, the most frequently mentioned reason (15 per cent of responses) is growth/development 

Important local issues

• more than half (52 per cent) of residents identify transportation as an important issue facing the community – the top three issues within this theme are traffic congestion (39 per cent), roads/condition of roads (four per cent), and parking (four per cent)
• growth/development is the second most frequently mentioned theme (35 per cent) – the top three issues are pace of development/growing too fast (15 per cent), housing density/too many high rises (nine per cent), and impact of growth/development on services/infrastructure/liveability (five per cent)
• all other issues are mentioned less frequently, with social issues (14 per cent, including 11 per cent mentioning housing/lack of affordable housing), parks/recreation/culture (12 per cent), and environment (10 per cent) rounding out the top five 

Municipal governance, leadership, and services

• more than half (56 per cent) say they are satisfied with the how the municipal government (Council and staff) is running the community, while 63 per cent are satisfied when considering staff only and 44 per cent are satisfied when considering Council only
• in total, 85 per cent of residents say they are satisfied with the overall level and quality of services provided by the City
• many (73 per cent) say the City is doing a good or very good job in providing programs, services, and facilities that are accessible and inclusive for all 

Financial planning

• a majority (66 per cent) of residents say they receive good value or very good value for their taxes and utility fees overall
• the three most frequently mentioned suggestions for service, program, and facility improvements are swimming pools, parks/green space/trails, and recreation
• residents are divided on the approach the City should take to balance service levels and tax rates, with 43 per cent saying the City should increase taxes to maintain or enhance service levels and 40 per cent recommending service cuts to maintain or reduce taxes 

Read the full 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey Final Report prepared by Ipsos.