News Releases

From the September 11, 2017 Meeting 

7.1.1 Construction & Design, 2015/2016 Annual Report

Decision

*A report of the Acting General Manager, Transportation & Utilities Department, was received as information.

Background

*Construction & Design is a service provider to the City of Saskatoon that delivers municipal infrastructure projects; provides regulatory oversight; maintains infrastructure records; and provides expertise, advice and guidance on municipal infrastructure. Administration is proud to present the first annual report demonstrating a variety of successful municipal projects.

7.2.5 Service Saskatoon – Open Data Update Report

Decision

*The Committee will recommend to City Council:

1. That the City engage in an Open Data program;
2. That the Administration be directed to develop a detailed strategy to implement the recommendations outlined in the MPATH report, and report back by April, 2018.

Background

*The original Open Data Catalogue pilot project was presented to City Council on August 15, 2012. The pilot project received approval for $40,000 for a capital project to engage with the local develop community and to establish a beta site to publish City data sets.

The catalogue was populated with a number of data sets that were static in nature. Static data sets in the current catalogue are not consistently updated, and as a result, the information may not be current and accurate. The process of creating, uploading, and maintaining data sets is currently a manual process. Prior to publishing the new data set, a pre-Personal Information Assessment is prepared and submitted to City Clerks prior to loading it to the open data catalogue. Currently, there are no dedicated resources for the Open Data program.

7.2.6 Climate Change Mitigation Business Plan - Opportunities

Decision

*The Committee will recommend to City Council:

1. That the information pertaining to Climate Change Mitigation Business Plan be received; and
2. That the allocation of Corporate Performance Department Capital Funding of $20,000, in addition to $80,000 of Federation of Canadian Municipalities grant funding, be referred to the 2018 Business Plan and Budget deliberations to support development of the Business Plan.

Background

*In November 2015, the City became a signatory to the Compact of Mayors, now known as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which commits the City of Saskatoon to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Within three years of becoming a signatory, Saskatoon is required to develop and submit an action plan for demonstrating how the City will deliver on its promise to mitigate emissions.

At its meeting on June 26, 2017, City Council resolved, in part:

1. That the greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for the City of Saskatoon (corporate) be adjusted to utilize 2014 as the base year, specifically, a reduction of 40% below 2014 levels by 2023; and a reduction of 80% below 2014 levels by 2050.

2. That the recommended reduction targets for the community proposed by the Saskatoon Environmental Advisory Committee be adopted.

The driver of a large pickup, which last September struck a City crew truck, has been fined and prohibited from driving for a year.

Following a guilty plea in Provincial Court, the accused was sentenced March 29 and ordered to pay a fine of $2,100 plus a $900 victim surcharge for a total fine amount of $3,000.

The driver will also be on probation for a year following the license suspension.

City workers were painting crosswalks along College Drive when it happened near Munroe Avenue in the early morning of Friday, September 2, 2016.

One worker had just stepped out of the truck to set up the work zone when he heard a loud vehicle approaching. Luckily, the worker managed to jump to the side before the pickup collided with the City half-ton.

The second City worker in the driver’s seat hit his head on the steering wheel from the impact.

The crash had so much force it pushed the City truck ahead another 10 metres (see photos below).

A reminder to motorists, City crews are out this week line painting on high traffic roads during evening and overnight hours starting at 7p.m. until 7a.m. The City asks motorists to proceed with caution around these areas, and to respect work zones.

As a result of the City’s most recent periodic review of speed limits, Administration is proposing changes to the speed limits on 8 sections of Saskatoon roadways. Additionally, new speed limits are being proposed for 4 sections of roadway that are either new or about to experience new uses and travel patterns.

Many of the changes being proposed are in the vicinity of the North Commuter Parkway in anticipation of the bridge’s opening in 2018. The maximum allowable speed is determined based on road classification (e.g. commuter or residential), adjacent land use, reported driver behaviour, and safety concerns.

“Our objective is to establish speed limits that help keep the flow of traffic moving as quickly as is safe,” says Jay Magus, Acting Director of Transportation. “The speed limits need to be reasonable based on the road classification and design so that drivers aren’t experiencing unnecessary frustration, but are also able to navigate the roadways at a speed that keeps them in control.”

Some of the changes being proposed are as follows:

• Speed reduction from 60 km/h to 50 km/h:

• Central Avenue north of Somers Road to Agra Road
• McOrmond Drive from Fedoruk Drive to east of Lowe Road
• Millar Avenue from 60^th Street to 71^st Street

• Speed increase from 50 km/h to 60 km/h on Fedoruk Drive from Central Avenue to McOrmond Drive
• Speed reduction from 80 km/h to 60 km/h on Zimmerman Road north of Highway 16

The proposed changes will be considered by the City’s Special Policy Committee on Transportation later today (Sept. 11). If adopted, the changes are expected to take effect this fall.

Saskatoon Transit buses will leave the Special Events stop downtown (at 23^rd Street and 2^nd Avenue, outside 2^nd Avenue Lofts) to service the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) at SaskTel Centre on Sunday, September 10^th at the following times:

3:30 p.m.

3:45 p.m.

4:10 p.m.

4:25 p.m.

4:45 p.m.

Return buses will depart directly after the show.

Saskatoon Transit encourages everyone taking in pre-award show events at Prairieland Park to consider using Transit.

• CCMA Rock’n Country Cabaret - Friday, September 8

• Route 1 from the downtown terminal to the Exhibition grounds at 6:31 p.m. and every hour until 11:31 p.m.  The last trip is at 12:14 a.m.
• The last bus leaving Hilliard Street and Ruth Street to get other buses is at 11:48 p.m.
• Route 19 runs from downtown to Lorne Ave and Ruth Street at 7:16 p.m. and every hour until 11:16 p.m.
• The last bus leaving Taylor Street and Lorne Avenue will be at 12:05 a.m.

• SiriusXM FanFest - Saturday, September 9

• Route 1 runs from downtown hourly before 10:31 a.m. then every half hour until 5:31 p.m.
• Route 19 runs from the downtown terminal hourly before 11:16 a.m. then every half hour until 5:46 p.m.

Transit route information can be found at transit.saskatoon.ca, or by calling the Transit Information Line at 306-975-7500.  Citizens can also plan their trip on the Transit or Google Maps App on their mobile device.  

For more information about Saskatoon Transit, visit saskatoontransit.ca or follow @StoonTransit on Twitter. Plan your route in advance using any of the following tools: Saskatoon Transit Trip Planner, Google Transit Trip Planner, or the Transit App on your mobile device.

The City is approximately five months into the construction of two new interchanges on Saskatoon’s east side. The Saskatoon Interchange Project, which involves the construction of an interchange at Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 and an interchange at McOrmond Drive and College Drive, began in April.

“Projects like these interchanges not only help people get around faster and more safely, they help drive our economy today and lay the foundations of growth tomorrow,” says the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “I'm pleased that work is well underway. Working together, the City, province and the federal government are achieving results for the community.”

The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are each contributing up to $10,960,885 to the Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 Interchange through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects.

“The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to play a role in helping improve safety for motorists and easing traffic congestion in Saskatoon by investing over $10.9 million toward the Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 project,” says the Honourable Larry Doke, Minister of Government Relations.

The Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 interchange is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019.

“At the Boychuk Drive and Highway 16 Interchange, the temporary intersection is functioning allowing the permanent works to proceed,” says Mike Gutek, City of Saskatoon Special Projects Manager of Major Projects and Preservation. “There is much work ahead, with only 25% complete so far, however it has been a good start.”

At the McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange site, required underground service work is ongoing and a temporary intersection and adjoining roads, which will be in place until the new interchange opens, will open Sunday, September 10. All traffic movements will be maintained, however delays are anticipated and the City encourages drivers to allow themselves extra time, consider alternate routes, or travel outside of peak hours. 

“While work on this interchange is behind schedule, the contractor is working to finalize a plan to be back on track for an October 2018 completion. These are risky projects and if the schedule is not met, the contract has consequences, although typically only monetary,” Gutek says.

Surrounding developers are funding 100 per cent of the McOrmond Drive and College Drive interchange. Once open, both interchanges will ease traffic flow and also include pedestrian and cyclist pathways.

Drivers are reminded that the speed limit through both construction sites is 60 km/h.

Visit saskatoon.ca/interchanges for project updates, alternate route maps, and to see 3D renderings.