Stop doing road work during rush hour!

Councillors move to stop rush-hour traffic jams caused by road work

File photo

Fed up with work crews resurfacing and line-painting major traffic arteries during morning and evening rush hours?

You aren't alone.

Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Shoemaker and his Ward 1 counterpart Paul Christian have placed a resolution about the issue on the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting of City Council.

The councillors want future road construction contracts to specify that impeding traffic should be avoided from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. "as long as the restrictions have no more than a minimal impact on the overall cost of the road works."

The following is the full text of the resolution.

The meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday on Tuesday starting at 4:30 p.m.

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Works on arterial roads

Mover: Councillor M. Shoemaker

Seconder: Councillor P. Christian

Whereas morning office rush hour times are between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on city streets; and

Whereas evening office rush hour times are between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on city streets; and

Whereas any impeding of traffic at these times amplifies congestion on the city streets; and

Whereas arterial roads are used by most residents to arrive to and from any destination in the city at all hours of the day, but in higher volumes during the morning and evening rush hours; and

Whereas in recent months both line painting and resurfacing have been undertaken on these arterial roads during the morning and evening rush hours, amplifying traffic congestion;

Now therefore be it resolved that staff report back on the feasibility of ensuring any future city contracts awarded for construction works on arterial roads specify that, to the greatest degree possible, traffic not be impeded during the morning or evening rush hours set out herein as long as the restrictions have no more than a minimal impact on the overall cost of the road works.

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