25 June 2009 / le 25 juin 2009
Contact / Personne-ressource : Councillor Clive
Doucet
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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That the
Transportation Committee recommend that Council approve that staff include Lees Avenue sidewalk
replacement in it’s 2009 maintenance budget.
Que le Comité des transports recommande au
Conseil d’approuver l’inclusion par le personnel du projet de remplacement des
trottoirs de l’avenue Lees dans le budget d’entretien pour 2009.
At the Transportation Committee meeting on 17 June 2009, Councillor Doucet put forward a Notice of Motion for consideration at the next meeting, to address an issue in his ward.
The sidewalks along Lees Avenue are
substandard, narrow, have poles set in them and are not clearable in some
places during the winter. Residents
have requested this sidewalk replacement for 10 years. It does not qualify for ready-to-go new
infrastructure funding because it is not a new sidewalk.
After the 2002
water main replacement on Lees, staff pointed out the problem with the low curb
height and the need for road reconstruction as described below. In 2003 the same response as is being given now
was received: that work could be done
in 2 to 3 years time. Six years have
elapsed since then and we are no closer to scheduling the work than we were in
2003.
Infrastructure Services
Lees
Avenue - Main Street to Chestnut St sidewalk reconstruction was programmed for
year 2003. During design, it was
identified that due to the flat nature of the boulevard it would not be
feasible to construct a full height curb (150 mm). The existing curb height is
sub-standard at 75-100 mm. An option of
milling 100 mm of asphalt and repaving with 50 mm was evaluated to restore curb
height however it did not proceed due to resultant reduction of pavement
strength. Furthermore, the
implementation of traffic calming measures was also proposed that would result
in further lowering of the curb height taking into account pavement and
sidewalk crossfalls.
In
order to reinstate an appropriate height of curb, provide proper crossfall and
to not trap water in the boulevards, the road would have to be lowered by
approximately 150 mm.
The
watermain was reconstructed in 2002 as a trench reinstatement project. The trench has subsequently settled and the
road has been identified as a road need on the three year plan. It has been identified as a "Major
Rehabilitation" project in the internal circulation, and the anticipated
scope of work will be to lower the profile of the road. This project could be planned for 2011 or
2012 depending on funding envelopes. The final scope and schedule of the
project will be defined after all comments from the internal circulation are
received from the different City Branches.
Reassessment of the sidewalks further east
would also be needed and would be included in the project if required. The road reconstruction would likely not be
required east of Chestnut.
There
are no Legal/Risk Management impediments to the implementation of this report's
recommendation.
Should Council approve
this initiative for 2009, funds are not available within the City’s existing
capital budget and a contribution from the City-wide Reserve would be
required. Based on the level of contributions to the City-Wide
Reserve Fund and the projected commitments, the 2009 year-end balance in the
Fund is forecasted to be in a $6.6 million overdraft position. Should Committee and Council approve this
request, the 2010 capital program will be restricted in order to re-establish a
positive Fund balance.
Upon Council approval, staff in Infrastructure Services to follow through with the recommendation in the report.