News Releases

It’s Earth Day, and around the world events are being held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Throughout the week, the City will be participating in awareness events, sharing information about its environmental initiatives, and encouraging residents to THINK about their activities and how they affect the planet, to CHOOSE to live more environmentally friendly, and to DO something that many residents are already doing – living more green. 
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) Earth Day Celebrations, with financial support from the City, will take place today, April 22, at the Farmers' Market starting at 3:00 p.m. Activities will include eco­crafts and face­ painting, outdoor activities and a concert featuring local musicians. During the event, the City will be showcasing its recycling information and other environmental programs. For more information, please visit www.environmentalsociety.ca.
The City will also take part in four days of films, workshops and events at the Saskatchewan Eco Network’s Environmental Film Festival, which runs April 24-27 at the Roxy Theatre and Frances Morrison Library. The City will present a Waste Reduction Workshop on April 27 following the afternoon films. More information is available at www.econet.ca.
Throughout the week there will be daily posts on the City’s blog, saskatooncitynews.ca, providing more details on the City’s environmental programs. These programs include: 
Household Hazardous Waste Days

This program makes disposing of hazardous household chemicals and materials convenient and protects the environment. Visit Saskatoon.ca under “H” for Household Hazardous Waste Days.
Recycling Opportunities

The blue-cart recycling program has been utilized by 97% of residents who together helped divert over 8,000 tonnes of recyclable material from the Landfill. Visit saskatoonrecycles.ca and SaskWasteReduction.ca for more details. 
Be Water Wise

The Be Water Wise Campaign supports the City of Saskatoon’s efforts to reduce water consumption in Saskatoon in all sectors. Visit Saskatoon.ca under “B” for Be Water Wise.
Green Cart - Leaves and Grass Collection Program

This program has been expanded for 2014. Now any interested household can participate in the program! More details can be found at SaskatoonRecycles.ca.
Compost Depots

Residents may take their leaves, grass, and non-elm branches, stumps and tree trimmings to the City’s compost depots free of charge. The compost depots are now open! Visit Saskatoon.ca under “C” for “Composting.”
“Yer Dirt” Compost and Mulch Sales

Purchase compost and mulch for use on lawns and in gardens at the Highway 7 Compost Depot. Visit Saskatoon.ca under “C” for “Composting.”
Rain Barrel and Compost Bin Rebates

The City has a limited number of $20 rebates available to Saskatoon residents who purchase a rain barrel or compost bin from a Saskatoon retailer in 2014. Visit www.saskwastereduction.ca/rebate-form to download a rebate form. 
Pesticide Reduction

The City supports the Be Pesticide Free campaign, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. Learn about alternatives to harmful chemical pesticides and how to do your part to reduce your pesticide use. For more information, visit www.bepesticidefree.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.

Spring fever is in the air for both dogs and their owners. With the weather finally warming up it is a great time to get out and enjoy the six active Dog Parks operated by the City of Saskatoon (City). With exciting plans for two more parks to open this summer, the following Dog Park’s are accessible to all licensed dogs:
• Avalon - south end of Broadway Avenue;
• Briarwood - south of Wilson's Greenhouse on McOrmond Drive;
• Caswell (open Summer 2014) - next to the Mayfair Pool;
• Hampton Village - north on Range Road 3060, near the airport;
• Hyde Park (open Summer 2014) - south end of Hyde Park adjacent to Boychuk Drive;
• Silverwood - access off Kinnear Avenue or the east end of Adilman Drive;
• Southwest - off Valley Road by the landfill; and
• Sutherland Beach - west of Central Avenue, north of Attridge Drive.

With the increase of users expected in the Dog Parks, here are a few tips to being a responsible pet owner:
• Please pick up after your dog;
• Dogs must stay ON LEASH in all areas of the City unless the area is clearly designated (signed) as a Dog Park; and
• Please be considerate and courteous to other people and children enjoying the outdoors and keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable around dogs, even friendly ones.

For more information or to see a map of the Dog Parks, please visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/dogparks.
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.

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The moisture from the rain and snow over the past few days is causing many new potholes to form on all Saskatoon streets.  The Spring Pothole Blitz program, which started on Monday, April 14, is an aggressive program to address potholes in the driving lanes of the high-traffic streets. As a result of snow/rain and cooler temperatures, many of those same streets are littered with new holes.  This set-back requires crews to start over with the Priority 1 and 2 streets, pushing back the other streets that were scheduled for this week.  Inspectors are out checking for changing driving conditions due to new potholes forming and identifying emergency locations on all streets.   Asphalt plants were not producing over the weekend due to weather conditions and the Easter weekend; however, crews resumed pothole repairs again on Monday when asphalt was again available.
Drivers continue to report potholes online with the Report a Pothole map and these locations are inspected daily.  At this time, only the severe locations and those on the high-priority, high-traffic streets are being repaired until we can get caught up. Those locations not repaired will be completed once the spring pothole blitz has ended or in conjunction with the Accelerated Residential Street Sweeping program.
About a third of the locations currently reported on the map are another type of issue resulting from completed City or private underground utility work that required an excavation.  These are known as utility cuts and have a temporary gravel/recycled asphalt cover until they can be properly paved once ground frost is gone.  Graders are maintaining these regularly until they can be patched with asphalt.  Utility cut patching begins today on Priority 1 streets and will continue until winter.
The Street Sweeping Blitz on high-traffic streets and business improvement districts also started on Monday, April 14.  With the rain and snow, sweeping did not occur Thursday through Monday.  Sweeping resumes today and the online schedule has been adjusted.  Sweeping cannot occur when there are pools of water on the street or when sustained sub-zero temperatures are present although they can still continue with a light rain.  Grassy medians and boulevards continue to be swept and sweeping crews are following behind to collect the debris from the street.
The Spring Sweeping & Pothole Blitz schedules are available at saskatoon.ca as part of the Building Better Roads program.  The schedules are being adjusted frequently due to the challenges we have been experiencing, most notably the weather.  With weather forecasts showing stable, warmer temperatures in the coming week, we hope to establish a more productive and regular schedule.
The Accelerated Residential Street Sweeping program is scheduled to begin on May 5. 
Schedules and more information are available at saskatoon.ca as part of the Building Better Roads campaign.  Saskatoon’s Road Plan is a coordinated approach to repair, maintenance and construction, Building Better Roads in Saskatoon.
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #BetterRoadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

Saskatoon Transit would like to remind those headed to the Black Sabbath concert at Credit Union Centre on Friday, April 18 that the concert will finish after statutory holiday transit service has ended. This means that there will be no transit connections from the Downtown Terminal Special Events Stop after the concert, and no connections from Malls serviced by the Credit Union Centre Park & Ride Services after the concert.

Credit Union Centre Park & Ride services will still be offered after the concert, however those concert goers who need to take a regular transit route from any of these locations (including downtown) are advised to make alternative arrangements.

Departures to the Black Sabbath concert from the Saskatoon Transit Special Events Stop, located on 2^nd Avenue and 23^rd Street, will be every 15 minutes between 6:45 p.m. and 7:45p.m. on April 18. Buses will depart Credit Union Centre for the Special Events Stop immediately after the concert.

Regular fares, transfers, and passes are accepted to and from the Downtown location only. Please contact Credit Union Centre for information on the mall Park and Ride Service.

For more information call Customer Service at 306-975-3100

The City of Saskatoon is taking a new approach to line painting on major roadways and high-speed freeways this year by expanding the use of durable markings.  When these types of roadways are built or rehabilitated, durable markings will be used. Durable markings are more visible and also last longer than regular road paint. 

“Winter operations, including the use of gravel and snow clearing, as well as higher traffic volumes, wear off road paint faster,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation. “This is why we are expanding the use of more durable markings on higher volume roadways. While the upfront cost is higher, these markings last longer and are visible year round.” 

The cost of the annual road marking program is $800,000 per year. In 2014, an additional $500,000 will be spent on durable markings. 

Road marking begins once sweeping is underway and nighttime temperatures are consistently at 5 degrees or warmer (generally late April/early May and until late October).  

There are no specific dates for painting road markings as the program is coordinated during or after other road work, and is weather dependent. High-traffic areas (such as downtown and Idylwyld Drive) are generally painted during the night to minimize disruption to traffic.  

In 2014, some of the locations where durable markings will be installed include:
- Circle Drive – Circle Drive North to Attridge Drive overpass, eastbound
- Circle Drive – Warman Road to Circle Drive, eastbound
- 51st Street

City crews paint road markings two to three times each year:
- Lane lines, edge lines and centre lines are painted three times a year
- Crosswalks are painted at least twice a year
- Sharrows, chevrons and parking stall lines are painted once a year
- Road markings are re-painted if they have been removed due to paving, patching, etc.

More information about Road Markings is available at saskatoon.ca as part of the Building Better Roads campaign.  Saskatoon’s Road Plan is a coordinated approach to repair, maintain and construct better roads in Saskatoon.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroads and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.