News Releases

The City of Saskatoon has completed pothole patching in 90% of neighbourhoods so far this summer. To date, more than 2,800 tonnes of asphalt has been used to repair potholes.  This is the equivalent of approximately 160,000 repaired potholes, based on an average 12 x 4 inch hole.

“After a slower than expected start to the season due to weather, in particular above average June rainfall, pothole patching is progressing well and our streets are looking great,” says Pat Hyde, Director of Public Works. “An increase in funding this year has allowed us to utilize private contractor crews and keep more civic crews working simultaneously, addressing potholes on the high traffic priority roads as well as on residential streets.”

In 2014, funding increased by $550,000 for the Spring Pothole Blitz on high traffic priority streets and $500,000 for Summer Pothole Patching in residential areas.

“Since its launch in March, 3,671 locations have been reported by residents using the Report-a-Pothole interactive map.  Nearly all of the locations that are in fact potholes have been repaired,” says Hyde. The City also identifies potholes through regular road inspections and schedules these for repair.

Many of the outstanding unrepaired locations showing on the map are actually utility cuts.  These are excavations required throughout the year to maintain, connect and repair underground utilities. A different process is applied to repairing these utility cuts than that for potholes. To date, crews have permanently repaired 667 of the 1123 utility cuts. The current list of locations requiring permanent asphalt repairs are all expected to be complete by the end of September.

The City has also been busy making repairs to sidewalks to address deficiencies and enhance public safety. Repairs range from concrete patching, asphalt patching or overlay to full sidewalk replacement. Crews also continue back lane maintenance and rehabilitation, as well as regular street sweeping along high traffic routes and in business areas.

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 on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The City’s goal is to protect taxpayers’ dollars and the benefits of all City workers.  We have worked hard at presenting a fair and competitive offer to the Amalgamated Transit Union 615 (ATU).

“The City is offering ATU a wage increase of 10.0% over four years (2013 - 2016), and has proposed changes to the General Pension Plan (Plan) that will help protect it into the future,” says Marno McInnes, Director of Human Resources.

There are nine unions and associations that are part of the Plan; eight have accepted and implemented their agreements with the City. ATU is the only union in the Plan that has not yet accepted the City’s offer. 

“We are concerned for the future of the pension plan and it is a serious matter,” McInnes says.

Changes to the Plan, which have been accepted by the other unions, call for – among other things – pension contribution rate increases by both the City and the employees to address an existing deficit in the Plan.  If not addressed, the deficit may have to be funded by the City.

Details of the full wage and benefits package is available on the City website.

A summary can be found at:

http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/HumanResources/negotiation/Pages/negotiation.aspx

More facts are available at:

http://www.saskatoon.ca/DEPARTMENTS/HumanResources/negotiation/Pages/QuestionsandAnswers.aspx

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For Immediate Release: August 22, 2014
TU14-373

NEW SUNDAY

VARIOUS DOWNTOWN: 21ST ST, 22ND ST, 1ST AVE, 2ND AVE, 3RD AVE CLOSURES
(Cruise Weekend community event)
Start: August 24, 4:00 a.m. End: August 24, 6:00 p.m.

COLLEGE DR EB LANES CLOSED FROM WIGGINS AVE TO BOTTOMLEY AVE
(Water main repair)
Start: August 24, 8:00 a.m. End: August 24, 6:00 p.m.

22ND ST & 4TH AVE INTERSECTION MEDIAN LANES CLOSED
(Catch basin repairs)
No left turns in any directions at intersection.
Start: August 24, 8:00 a.m. End: August 24, 1:00 p.m.

ONGOING

33RD ST W EB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE Y N TO AVE W N
(Water main lining)
Two-way traffic set in WB lanes of 33rd St
Start: August 22, 10:30 a.m. End: September 19, 6:00 p.m.

**AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED ON FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(Roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in the SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Koyl Ave to Airport Dr.
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 6:00 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE CLOSED FROM GRAY AVE TO 110TH ST W
(Streetscaping)
Detour via Egbert Ave.
Start: August 17, 7:00 p.m. End: August 24, 6:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR N SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 25TH ST W TO 24TH ST E
(Streetscaping)
Traffic will merge to one lane. Right turn from 25th St EB to Idylwyld Dr SB will be maintained
Start: August 13, 12:00 p.m. End: August 27, 4:00 p.m.

20TH ST W WB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE F S TO AVE G S
(Streetscaping)
Two-way traffic will be accommodated in the EB lanes. Speed reduced to 30km/h
Start: August 7, 9:00 a.m. End: September 4, 6:00 p.m.

8TH ST E EB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO CUMBERLAND AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Traffic will merge to one lane
Start: June 23, 9:00 a.m. End: August 30, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

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 on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Immediate Release: August 22, 2014
NEW

CIRCLE DR WB LANES CLOSED WEST OF CLARENCE AVE
(Drainage improvements)
Traffic will detour on City Center Bypass
Start: August 25, 9:00 a.m. End: August 29, 6:00 p.m.

5TH AVE N CLOSED FROM 24TH ST TO 25TH ST
(Easter Seal Drop Zone)
Start: August 25, 6:00 a.m. End: August 25, 6:30 p.m.

CENTRAL AVE SB LANES CLOSED FROM 112TH ST TO 110TH ST
(Streetscaping)
Two-way traffic accommodated in the NB lanes.
Start: August 25, 7:00 a.m. End: September 20, 6:00 p.m.

ONGOING

33RD ST W EB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE Y N TO AVE W N
(water main lining)
Two-way traffic set in WB lanes of 33rd St
Start: August 22, 10:30 a.m. End: September 19, 6:00 p.m.

AIRPORT DR NB LANES CLOSED ON FROM GATEWAY BLVD TO THE AIRPORT
(roadway improvements)
Two-way traffic accommodated in the SB lanes. 45th St W closed from Koyl Ave to Airport Dr
Start: August 20, 1:00 p.m. End: October 29, 6:00 p.m.

IDYLWYLD DR N SB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM 25TH ST W TO 24TH ST E
(streetscaping)
Traffic will merge to one lane. Right turn from 25th St EB to Idylwyld Dr SB will be maintained
Start: August 13, 12:00 p.m. End: August 27, 4:00 p.m.

20TH ST W WB LANES CLOSED FROM AVE F S TO AVE G S
(Streetscaping)
Two way traffic will be accommodated in the EB lanes. Speed reduced to 30km/h
Start: August 7, 9:00 a.m. End: September 4, 6:00 p.m.

8TH ST E EB CURB (OUTSIDE) LANE CLOSED FROM MUNROE AVE S TO CUMBERLAND AVE S
(Water Main Lining)
Traffic will merge to one lane
Start: June 23, 9:00 a.m. End: August 30, 6:00 p.m.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

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 on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The City of Saskatoon’s focus on continuous improvement is resulting in increased savings, award winning service, and greenhouse gas reducing environmental programs.

The 2013 Report on Service, Savings and Sustainability: How the City of Saskatoon is Improving Productivity has been released, showing the City is on the right track toward achieving its vision of being the best managed city in Canada.

“We are always exploring and implementing new ways to improve service, increase savings, and grow our city in a sustainable way,” says Catherine Gryba, General Manager of Corporate Performance. “The City is ensuring we continue to provide the programs and services that matter most to citizens.”

The report shows the City increased savings in 2013 by taking a fresh look at how it operates, resulting in an approximate $51.7 million in savings and more than $74 million over the next 30 years.  Additionally, there is $600,000 in deferred savings.

The list of new and improved delivery of civic services and programs outlined in the report is long, and includes everything from reintroducing a fall street sweeping program in more than 20 years to enabling citizens to report traffic concerns online, to committing to the development of more affordable housing units.

When it comes to environmental matters, Saskatoon citizens doubled the amount of recycling they do, thanks to the curbside recycling program. Key environmental initiatives are also helping reduce civic greenhouse gas emissions to the equivalent of removing 23,165 cars off Saskatoon roads.

Gryba says the overall report reflects how the City has gone beyond conventional approaches to meet the dynamic changing needs and high expectations of citizens.

“We are ensuring we are continuously dedicated to the creation of a culture of continuous improvement, one of the City of Saskatoon’s seven Strategic Goals.”

The entire 2013 Report on Service, Savings and Sustainability is available at www.saskatoon.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.