News Releases

Beginning Monday, January 20, grader crews will be clearing compacted snow by neighbourhood on streets across the city. This is a proactive approach to reduce the snow pack on the roadways.  Snow pack on the roadways is what allows for the formation of ruts to develop.  As part of the increased level of service for snow management through the new dedicated road levy funding, provisions were made to include city-wide snow clearing.  The levy will be used to increase road reconstruction and rehabilitation, and increase road maintenance services.

The city-wide snow clearing will be performed only on streets that are not already designated on the priority street network for snow clearing.  These priority streets receive multiple clearings throughout the winter and do not have the applicable snow pack development.  Multiple two-grader crews will clear streets that are outside of the priority system in two neighbourhoods each day.  For residential neighbourhoods, the snow clearing will be performed during the weekdays, beginning with the first identified neighbourhoods Montgomery and Willowgrove.  The first week schedule follows and  subsequent schedules will be posted on the City’s website as the snow clearing progresses.

“The current snow pack across the city is approximately 4-5 inches, which means that ruts can and are developing at that depth.  The presence of the unseasonably warm weather we are experiencing can serve to accelerate the development of ruts that become more problematic as temperatures drop and the ruts freeze,” says Director of Public Works, Pat Hyde.  “To prevent this from happening now or in the spring after more snow has fallen, we are being proactive and clearing the streets as close to the pavement as we can.”

In order for an efficient clearing that maximizes and maintains wide driving lanes, and allows for storage of snow, all vehicles must be removed from the street.  Where and when possible, grader crews will do their best to leave at least one parking space clear for each house.  This may not always be achievable as the snow needs to be pushed to the side of the roads for storage. 

Yellow ‘No Parking’ sandwich board signs, supplemented with matching paper No Parking signs in some cases, will be posted 36 hours in advance of the scheduled clearing to notify drivers to move their vehicles.  The yellow, high-visibility sandwich boards will be posted throughout the neighbourhoods on the main roads, important intersections and high-volume traffic areas.  Vehicles left on the street within the designated neighbourhoods at 7:00 a.m. will be relocated and ticketed and ordered to pay a fine of $100 (no reduction available).  Drivers can locate their vehicle with the Find My Vehicle! application on the City’s website or by calling the Public Works customer service line at 306-975-2476 or public.works@saskatoon.ca

The street clearing schedule may be required to be changed as the program progresses, depending on the conditions of the streets.  If it snows, the clearing program will be on hold as crews are deployed to clear the priority streets.  Any neighbourhood/street that is cancelled will be rescheduled and No Parking signs will be re-posted again to notify residents.  Visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow to learn more about the City’s snow and ice management program or contact the Public Works customer service line at 306-975-2476 or public.works@saskatoon.ca.

Street Clearing Schedule – January 20 - 24

Monday, January 20 – Montgomery and Willowgrove

Tuesday, January 21 – Silverwood Heights and Wildwood

Wednesday, January 22 – Arbor Creek and Hampton Village

Thursday, January 23 – Fairhaven and Sutherland

Friday, January 24 – Lawson Heights and Silverspring

Traffic is currently restricted to one lane on Faithful Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street for an emergency water main repair.

All restrictions are expected to be lifted by the end of day January 7, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find up-to-date traffic detour information at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 24, the 25th Street westbound median lane approaching 6th Avenue will be closed.  Crews require access to underground utilities.

It is expected the work will be completed by 3:00 p.m. that day, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.  The City thanks everyone for their patience.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.
Know before you go! Find up-to-date traffic detour information at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Environment Canada has ended its wind warning for Saskatoon and area.  As a result, the City’s Level 1 Emergency Alert is over as well.

Over the course of Wednesday evening, January 15, the abnormal above freezing temperatures dropped which increased possibility slippery road conditions.  However, sanding crews worked overnight to address any problem roadways. 

City staff yesterday responded to a number of service disruptions or operational challenges throughout the day. An Emergency Level 1 Alert allowed for the sharing of information across civic departments and divisions.  

The following is an update on the City of Saskatoon services:
Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P)

All systems are operating normally and at time of release there are no current power outages.

Credit Union Centre (CUC)

As of 11:12pm last night, there were no concerns raised by CUC staff.

Facilities

Operating normally

Transit

Normal operations
Public Works
Snow & Ice

Sanding crews worked overnight to address any problem roadways. A more detailed update will be available later today.

Saskatoon Landfill
The Landfill is open to the public for normal operations. 

Recycling and Garbage Collections
Garbage collection continues as normal today including neighbourhoods that may have been missed.  Also, many residents are reporting missing or damaged carts this morning.  To help us resolve the issue, please phone the Waste Stream Customer Service Line at 306-975-2486.

Solid waste truck operators attempted to upright as many carts as they could;  the City would like to thank everyone who took a few extra minutes to pick up overturned carts and cleaned up any spilled material throughout yesterday’s wind event.

Parks

Parks crews were able to address five tree-related calls last night.  Call volume is currently normal.

With the wind speeds down we do not expect an escalation of priority hazardous tree-damage service calls.  If City-owned trees are damaged and residents are concerned they may be a safety hazard, please phone the Parks division at 306-975-2890 which will be open until 4:45 p.m. today.  Afterwards, please call the 24-hour Public Works hotline at 306-975-2476.

Transportation
The traffic signal pole that was downed at Central Avenue and Attridge Drive is expected to be repaired this morning.
Information for Residents and Visitors

The City would again like to remind residents and visitors to keep safety a priority during and after extreme weather events such as this one.  In an emergency, residents are to phone 911 for immediate assistance.

Today, the City recommends residents examine their trees and property during the daylight hours to ensure the area is safe.
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

Residents are reminded that in 2014, your garbage and recycling carts will continue to be emptied on the same day of the week as they were emptied in 2013; the scheduled day did not change for this year. Carts must be placed for collection no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day or it may be missed.

A few households have received incorrect schedules due to a printing error on the 2014 garbage and recycling collection calendars, “Let’s Roll”.  If you received the wrong schedule, please accept our apologies.  You may reference or print the correct schedule at SaskatoonRecycles.ca, or call 306-975-2486 for assistance and to request a new calendar.  

Residents are also reminded to please leave your garbage and recycling carts out if they’re not emptied on your scheduled collection day.  Weather conditions, mechanical failures and lane conditions can affect collections.

Garbage and Recycling Make-up Collection from Wednesday, January 1
Due to the New Year’s Day statutory holiday, recycling and garbage collection for Wednesday routes, will be collected tomorrow, Saturday, January 4.  If your cart is not emptied on Saturday, please leave it out for collection on Sunday. 

Our cart collection program is designed to reduce the amount of waste that goes to the Landfill and help grow a greener Saskatoon. For more information about recycling and waste handling, visit SaskatoonRecycles.ca.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

The City of Saskatoon’s website, www.saskatoon.ca, will undergo a temporary service disruption this Sunday evening, January 12; the disruption will last approximately 30 minutes, starting at 10:30 p.m.

The planned service work requires that we disrupt access to a number of our public facing Internet services.  From 10:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the public website, all online service applications (Parking Ticket Payment, Submit your Meter Read, Leisure Online etc.) and email will be unavailable.  From 11:00 p.m. thru to midnight, there may also be brief interruptions until the maintenance work is complete. 

The City of Saskatoon is focused on continuous improvement and aims to provide the best high-quality services to meet the high expectations of our citizens. We apologize for any inconvenience to our citizens due to this brief disruption to our website.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

Clearing, sanding, salting and removal of snow this year has been successful at keeping City roads in good winter driving condition this season.  The City’s winter operations are running continuously and methods are adjusted as required in response to weather conditions.  For example, the extended extreme cold period required more frequent sanding and maintenance to address the icy conditions, so extra sanding crews are deployed on these days.

So far this winter, Saskatoon has experienced six snow events, with an expected three more months of winter left to go.  A snow event is defined as where a minimum of 5 centimetres of snowfall.  In each of these events, crews were out sanding and clearing during the snow event.  Once the snow fall ended, crews had completed the priority street system in advance of the 72-hour goal. 

“As a result of this snow clearing, City crews have hauled 2,700 tandem-axle loads of snow to the City’s snow storage sites,” Director of Public Works, Pat Hyde says.  “This is done to remove the snow windrows in the downtown core, the Business Improvement Districts and to provide storage room along the priority routes for the next snow events.” 

Over the next few weeks more snow windrows will be removed along the priority street network to provide for sufficient storage space.

The City listens to what residents are asking for and continues to make improvements to its budgeting and operations.  So far this winter, additional successes and new processes include:

Circle Drive
The City has implemented an improved process for snow storage and removal along Circle Drive.  Crews will remove as much of the snow as possible during snow clearing along the guard rails and protective barriers.  Then crews will return and remove any remaining snow within 48 hours, once clearing is completed on Circle Drive.  The first priority is Circle Drive South, Circle Drive North, and Senator Sid Buckwold Bridges, followed by the high speed overpasses along Circle Drive.  The City is working this week to complete the removal of snow ridges that have collected along the protective barriers and guard rails.  Once the high priority roadways are complete, the City will immediately remove all snow ridges along the remaining guard rails and protective barriers on Circle Drive.   

A new ‘rolling work zone’ snow removal process was developed and implemented.  The ‘rolling work zone’ allows for this work to be completed while minimizing traffic disruption and ensuring the safety of the crews and public while the operations are performed.

Business Improvement Districts
The Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) of the Downtown Partnership, Broadway, Riversdale and Central Avenue have had an improved snow clearing process applied where snow will be cleared from curb to curb during the priority street clearing during and following a snow event.  This will provide for an improved cleared area for parking along the curb lanes and streets that are cleared of snow to improve traffic flow. The BIDs will then have the snow windrows loaded out following the clearing within the following few days after clearing. 

NEW for this year is the use of contractor forces to perform snow clearing and removal with the following streetscape zones of the downtown core:  2nd Avenue (between 23rd Street and 19th Street) and 21st Street (from 1st Avenue to Spadina Crescent).

Use of Contractors
Contractors are being engaged earlier during a snow event to ensure that the priority street network is maintained and passable during a snow event.  It can also mean it can be cleared more quickly once the snowfall has ceased.  This leads to an improved traffic flow and provides for safer driving conditions for drivers.

Industrial Areas
As these are heavy traffic areas and are significant to the overall commerce of the city and its residents, additional snow clearing within the industrial areas has also been improved and expanded this year.  For those streets within these areas that are not already receiving snow clearing as part of the priority street network  additional clearing is being performed once the priority streets are completed.  This is improving traffic flow, improving access to these areas and preventing and/or minimizing the potential for rutting.  This approach will help avoid rutting within these zones, which can be very significant otherwise.  

School Zones
Currently snow removal has been initiated for all elementary school zones with the use of contract forces.  The clear out area of the school zones is being expanded to allow for an increased area for drop off/pick up zones, ease traffic congestion and improve the safety for children within these areas.  Schools located in the southwest, northeast and north side of the city are complete and schools in the northwest and southeast will be completed within one week. 

Sidewalks & Pathways
Changes for City crews has allowed for workers to be available 7 days/week for clearing the pathways and sidewalks that the city is responsible for snow clearing.  Previous to this winter sidewalk crews were not staffed over the weekends.  This allows for a much faster and efficient clearing process and improves the opportunities of those who utilize the pathways and sidewalks.

City Wide Clearing & Ruts
With warm weather forecasted over the next several days, the City is anticipating rutting to begin on those streets not on the priority street network.  Specifically, Public Works is watching those areas where there is limited room for traffic flow, where the potential for ruts is more severe.  The current average snow pack on streets is approximately 10 centimetres (4 inches).  In extreme cold, the snow contracts, then when temperatures rise again, the snow will “puff up” or expand and soften. It is during such conditions when roadways are more susceptible to the potential for ruts developing or for existing ruts to expand.  
To avoid an extreme rutting situation, as was experienced last year, funding through the new dedicated road levy provides for additional snow clearing.  Through this, a city-wide snow clearing is being planned for and scheduled to start the week of January 20 on all city streets, which include residential and industrial streets, that are not regularly cleared as part of the priority street snow clearing system.  Before the city wide clearing begins residents may report a severely rutted street online at www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow or to the customer service call centre at 306-975-2476.  More information about the city-wide snow clearing program will be provided over the next week. 

City crews are out addressing high-risk and trouble areas 24/7, as well as monitoring road conditions and sanding/salting as required.  With warmer temperatures expected, sanding efforts will be more effective to reduce icy conditions.  The City is pleased with its snow maintenance program and proud to serve Saskatoon residents, making it safe for drivers to move around the city.  For more information about the City’s Snow & Ice program, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

The Saskatoon Transit and Access Transit fare increases that were approved as part of the 2014 City of Saskatoon Budget will take effect starting February 1, 2014.

The new fees are as follows:
Single transit tickets will increase by $0.10 for adults, students and children making the new rates $2.40, $1.80 and $1.40.
The cost of a monthly pass will also increase. For adults it will increase from $78 to $81; students $56 to $57; children $47 to $48; and for seniors $26 to $27.
Cash fares will increase by $0.10 to $3.10 per ride for an adult, $2.60 for a student, and $2.10 for a child. 

For more information on Saskatoon Transit fares, routes and schedules, visit www.saskatoon.ca and click on “T” for Transit or call 306-975-3100 and speak to a Customer Service Representative. Access Transit customers can call 306-975-3555 for further information.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases,  Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

The Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval will be closed to the public for Provincial Championships from January 17 to 19, 2014; the Canada Cup Junior Selection Speed Skating Championships from January 22 to 26, 2014; and the Local Club Marathon on January 31 and February 1, 2014.

Following the competitions, the Oval will re-open to the public on January 19, 26 and February 1 at 4:00 p.m.

Regular hours of operation are Monday to Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/rinks.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

Starting Monday, January 6, 2014 traffic will be restricted south of the 1st Avenue North and Circle Drive intersection while crews complete further work on the primary water main. The following restrictions will be in place: 

• No turning on to 1st Avenue North from Circle Drive eastbound and westbound 
• Local access only along 1st Avenue North between 40th Street and Circle Drive northbound and southbound
• No parking on sections of 1st Avenue North. 

It is expected that this work will take three days to complete, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find up-to-date traffic detour information at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.