News Releases

From the April 4, 2016 Meeting

6.2.1 Roads Maintenance Program Value for Money Report

Decision

*The report was received and forwarded to City Council for information.
*Administration instructed to work with Auditor to develop a process (dashboard) to present to Committee at the appropriate time (Fall 2016).

Background

*A value for money review was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to determine whether divisions acting as the custodians of the roadways and are entrusted with executing on spending (being Roadways Maintenance within Public Works, Major Projects, and Construction & Design) are achieving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the manner in which they are operating.

7.2.5 Transportation & Utilities Capital Projects Funding Reallocation

Decision

*The committee recommended to City Council that the transfer of funds as indicated below, be approved:

1.    $147,399 from the Arterial Road Reserve be allocated to Capital Project #1462 – Arterial Road – Clarence Avenue;

2.    $259,615 from the Infrastructure Water and Sanitary Sewer Reserve to Capital Project #1615 – Water Distribution; and

3.    $292,148 from the pooled Reallocation of Capital Funds to Capital Project #2003 – Highway 14 and Highway 7 Grade Separation.

Background

*A review of capital programs, primarily from the previous Infrastructure Services Department, has resulted in the closure (completion) of 48 projects. Of these completed projects, 25 are underspent and funds will be returned to the appropriate reserves; 20 were overspent by an amount that does not require City Council approval to fund; and the remaining three require City Council approval to fund the amount over-expended.

The City of Saskatoon is three weeks ahead of schedule with its annual spring line marking program.

“We are pleased with the progress so far this spring and are on pace to complete all locations before the end of June.” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “Every year, we paint 500 lane kilometres of pavement markings and more than 600 crosswalks. In about four weeks, we’ve already completed approximately 30 per cent of pavement markings and 64 per cent of crosswalks.”

The mild, dry weather and improvements to the program have allowed crews to paint close to 150 kilometres of Saskatoon streets since April 6. The City is projecting to complete 1,000 kilometres of line painting in 2016.

The City will continue the application of durable markings as well this season, which are more visible and last longer than regular road paint. These markings can last from seven to ten years and are applied to high-traffic streets.

“We are using a new durable-marking product this year that is expected to provide the same life expectancy as what we’ve been using, at a lesser cost. The new product was applied on 3rd Avenue between 23rd Street and 24th Street,” said Gardiner.

Road markings are coordinated with road resurfacing work in order to minimize traffic disruptions, with high-traffic streets painted at night. City streets already completed include Spadina Crescent, Kerr Road, Lowe Rod, Heal Ave, Berini Drive, Nelson Road, and Kenderdine Road.

Crews paint road markings by priority each year:

• Lane lines, edge lines and center lines are painted three times per year at high-traffic volume locations
• Crosswalks are painted at least twice a year (spring and fall)
• Shared bike lanes markings (sharrows) and chevrons (near freeway ramps) are painted once a year
• Road markings are repainted if they are removed  due to paving, patching etc.

For the safety of workers, please slow down when approaching work zones and line painting equipment, and give the workers the room they need to get the job done safely and efficiently.

For more information about line painting visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads

Saskatoon residents continue to need reminders about what can and should be recycled according to the 2015 Integrated Waste Management Annual Report.                                                            

“Every day, about three busloads of recycling ends up in the garbage in Saskatoon,” says Brenda Wallace, Director of Environmental & Corporate Initiatives.  “So, to increase awareness and generate renewed enthusiasm about recycling, the City of Saskatoon, Loraas Recycle and Cosmopolitan Industries have collaborated to develop a city-wide “Blue Approved” recycling campaign which launches today.”

To help illustrate this, watch for the Saskatoon Transit bus with a side-image showing one bus load of recyclable material.  Check out social media for images and information on what can be recycled and where to find more information, and look for portable billboards across the city.

The campaign originates from findings contained in the Integrated Waste Management Annual Report for 2015 set to be received by the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services.

The report highlights a 2015 recycling survey of 1,000 Saskatoon residents to measure recycling knowledge, program satisfaction and recycling information sources. Overall, program participation was reported as being fairly high with most residents responding they recycle all or most of their household’s recyclable items.

The survey also found more than eight-in-ten residents correctly identify most items can or cannot be recycled in curbside blue carts and multi-unit outdoor bins. Areas of weaker knowledge include recycling of hard plastics, plastic grocery bags, Styrofoam, plastic toys, foil paper and foil containers.

“The 2015 Integrated Waste Management Annual Report provides a current description of waste handling, waste reduction and waste diversion programs and services,” Wallace says. “The City has an ambitious target of 70 per cent waste diversion by 2023, and its recently approved application for membership in the National Zero Waste Council shows a commitment to establish new options to reduce waste and the associated environmental and economic costs of managing waste.”

The 2015 report highlights the following key findings:

• In 2014, the City completed a study on the content of garbage from single family households and from multi-unit buildings.  The study showed that of 53,012 tonnes of garbage from single family households, 14,000 could have been diverted; and that 11,600 tonnes of waste were generated from multi-unit buildings and up to 30% of the materials were recyclable.
• Saskatoon’s waste diversion rate for 2015 was 21%, slightly down from 22.5% in 2014.  The national average curbside diversion rate (2014) was 33%.
• The City’s residential blue cart curbside recycling, multi-unit residential recycling, public space recycling, recyclables accepted at the Saskatoon Landfill and civic facilities recycling diverted a total of 14, 678 tonnes of materials, an increase from 2014.
• The residential blue cart recycling service, provided by Loraas Recycle to 67,807 households, collected 11,353 tonnes of material with a 4% contamination rate.
• The residential multi-unit recycling service, provided by Cosmopolitan Industries, was fully deployed in May 2015 to 34,329 service addresses.  A total of 2,073 tonnes of material were collected with an average contamination rate of 20%.
• The optional Leaves and Grass (Green Cart) program served 5,752 subscribers in 2015, an increase of 46% from 2014.  A total of 2,118 tonnes of compostable materials was diverted through the program in 2015.
• In 2015, 12,499 tonnes of material were diverted through the City’s two Compost Depots and 46,753 vehicle visits were made.
• 62,502 tonnes of residential garbage was collected in 2015.  The Residential Waste Disposal Rate was 242 kilograms per person, a decrease from 265 kilograms per person in 2012.
• A route efficiency exercise in 2015 calculated the most effective grouping of neighbourhoods.  The new routes started in 2016 and are expected to save fuel and time and defer the need for additions to the fleet of garbage trucks.
• In 2015, approximately 157,091 tonnes of material was accepted at the Saskatoon Landfill.  Over 900 tonnes of metals, white goods, propane tank and batteries, and 51,716 litres of used oil were removed from the Saskatoon Landfill for recycling or disposal as hazardous waste.
• The Saskatoon Landfill had 88,247 paying visitors in 2015.  More residents are using the Saskatoon Landfill, however the number of commercial haulers has decreased.
• Saskatoon continues to have one of the highest rates of residential garbage self-hauled to the Landfill in Canada.  

Visitors to City Hall, the downtown transit terminal, and several City leisure facilities can now enjoy complimentary WiFi service with guest access powered by Shaw Go WiFi. The service, made possible through a partnership agreement with Shaw Communications Inc, is an exciting initiative through the City’s new service model - Service Saskatoon.

“Access to complimentary public WiFi is a benchmark for modern cities”, says Mayor Donald Atchison. “The internet keeps people connected, informed and part of our great city. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to access the complimentary WiFi at City owned locations. This makes sense.”

“The new WiFi services at key sites across Saskatoon will provide a cost-effective opportunity for people to stay more closely connected to their friends, family, and work colleagues while on-the-go,” said Greg Pultz, Vice President, Operations, Shaw Communications. “Providing these services in collaboration with a great partner like the City of Saskatoon furthers our ability to deliver an enhanced connectivity experience to Canadians.”

“Through our new and improved approach to service with the introduction of Service Saskatoon, we want to create multiple channels for citizens to access the information they need and answers they require,” says Pat Hyde, Director of Service Saskatoon. “With that purpose in mind, the Service Saskatoon public WiFi initiative will assist residents in connecting to the information they need on the internet including City programs and services.”

Saskatoon residents and visitors can access the Shaw Go WiFi network on their WiFi enabled devices by selecting ‘ShawGuest’ from the list of available WiFi settings and following the on-screen instructions to connect. Shaw customers will be able to automatically log onto the WiFi service through the Shaw Go WiFi network.

Effective Wednesday, May 4, residents and visitors can sign up for Guest Access on the Shaw Go WiFi network when visiting one of the following civic locations:

Saskatoon City Hall

• 222 - 3rd Avenue North

Leisure Centres

• Cosmo Civic Centre, 3130 Laurier Drive
• Lakewood Civic Centre, 1635 McKercher Drive
• Lawson Civic Centre, 225 Primrose Drive

Outdoor pools (summer months)

• Lathey Pool, 815 Taylor Street
• Mayfair Pool, 1025 Ave F North

Arenas

• ACT Arena, 107 - 105th Street
• Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena, 1405 Avenue P South

Golf Course Club Houses

• Holiday Park, 1630 Avenue

Saskatoon Transit Terminals

• Downtown Transit Terminal, 23rd Street E

Today is an important start for this initiative, which will continue with an additional 27 City facilities. A schedule of installation will be available on saskatoon.ca/wifi as it becomes available.

For more information on Service Saskatoon, and for updates on various initiatives under each pillar, please visit saskatoon.ca/service.

Much anticipated work at Broadway Avenue is set to begin this Monday, May 2nd.

“Good weather and good planning has kept this significant project on time and on target,” says Celene Anger, Director of Construction and Design. “With so many contributing factors playing into this project, keeping to the schedule as much as possible has been, and will continue to be a top priority.” 

The Broadway Avenue Improvement Project will see extensive water main upgrades and road resurfacing to Broadway Avenue and surrounding areas, with work scheduled to last approximately five months. The project has been specifically designed to minimize impact on the community, allowing for business to remain open and events to take place as normally as possible.

“We’re modernizing the infrastructure under our City’s very first commercial district,” Anger says. “When this work is complete, Broadway Avenue residents and businesses will see a marked reduction in water main breaks, which will mean fewer disruptions for everyone.

“The road resurfacing will make Broadway Avenue look better and last longer. When people attend events like the Fringe Festival, they are going to see a huge difference in the quality of the street surface.”    

As the project is starting on time, the scheduled closure of Broadway Bridge is also on target for May 9, and will be closed to vehicle traffic for approximately one week. However, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to use the walkways on the bridge. 

“If Broadway Avenue is a typical way downtown, we’re reminding those folks to reroute their commute during the construction and to use another bridge such as the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge,” she says.

Saskatoon Transit will also be rerouting its commute, using alternate streets including Dufferin Avenue as necessary.   

For more information please visit saskatoon.ca/broadway.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map. Find traffic detour information and subscribe to Traffic Detour Service Alerts at saskatoon.ca/service-alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @YXEServiceAlert and with #betterroadsYXE.