City replacing snow management gear that has reached the end of its useful life
With the snow season now fully upon us, the City of Laval has rolled out several new snow management and street parking control features to meet its snow removal response needs.
During a press conference earlier this month, Mayor Stéphane Boyer announced the city’s implementation of nearly 5,000 smart traffic signs that are fully remotely controllable – and which are also a first for a Quebec municipality.
Modernizing equipment
As well, to offer residents an even more efficient snow removal service, the city will be investing nearly $25 million by 2027 to modernize its wintertime fleet. This includes the acquisition of new sidewalk equipment and next-generation snowplows.
“Efficient snow removal and safe streets are essential for Laval residents,” Boyer said during the announcement at the city’s public works yard just off Autoroute 440 near Industriel Blvd.
“That’s why, even in a challenging budgetary context, we have chosen to invest in making our fleet more efficient and sustainable,” he continued.
“These improvements, combined with the deployment of new technologies, such as dynamic traffic signs, will allow us to offer even better service to residents this winter and for years to come.”
To face the winter, Laval is replacing snow removal equipment that has reached the end of its useful life, in order to maintain the reliability of a fleet whose total value is now assessed at more than $40 million.
Renewing the fleet
Among the acquisitions are:
• 14 trucks with interchangeable bodies capable of quickly switching from paving or tanker trucks in the summer to loader trucks in the winter ($7 million).
• 35 sidewalk snow removal vehicles, scheduled for delivery in 2026, with maintenance guaranteed for four years thanks to a recently awarded contract ($9.5 million).
• 19 spreader trucks to be acquired by 2027 following a call for tenders launched by the city on December 16 (estimated at $7 million).
• Four snowblowers were replaced with newer models this fall ($800,000).
Nearly 5,000 smart, solar-powered illuminated signs have been installed in some of the most densely populated areas of Laval (including Chomedey), between Autoroutes 13, 19, 440 and the Rivière des Prairies. The city says the investment will allow it to make its street maintenance operations much less disruptive by limiting their impact on on-street parking.
Synched to Info-Parking app
The signs light up a few hours before snow removal work begins to indicate parking restrictions, and then turn off once the street is clear. Parking restrictions are synchronized with the City of Laval’s Info-Parking app, which was optimized this year in the hopes of simplifying the lives of residents, according to the city.
The app, developed in Quebec, was selected after a pilot project evaluation based on public satisfaction. A survey of participants revealed that 98.4 per cent found the new signs clear and easy to understand. Laval thus becomes the first municipality in Quebec to adopt this type of cutting-edge technology, which offers customizable schedules and a centralized platform for remotely controlling all smart display panels.
To face winter, Laval mobilizes an impressive fleet of 740 vehicles, more than 500 experts working day and night and smart technologies. The city also counts on the support of private companies, thanks to contracts totaling $20 million, to strengthen its response capacity during major storms.
It is hoped that this combined force will ensure efficient and coordinated snow removal across the city’s 3,200 kilometres of streets and 1,300 kilometres of sidewalks – the equivalent of a trip between Laval and Vancouver. Residents can monitor and adapt to ongoing snow removal operations using the app, which provides real-time alerts and interactive functions.
Hundreds of sidewalks and streets
Each vehicle in the Laval snow removal fleet plays a key role in a large-scale operation that unfolds in several stages – from spreading abrasives to snow removal.
In addition to the equipment, a staff of 500 employees dedicated to snow removal are on the job throughout the winter on Laval’s many boulevards, roadways and streets.
They include drivers as well as equipment and machine operators running specialized gear in the field; mechanics and welders who maintain, adjust and prepare the fleet as needed; and general labourers who provide support for field operations and logistics.
As well, there are material attendants who handle the supply and maintenance of equipment; and a planning and coordination team of supervisors, division heads, planners and contract managers who organize and direct the snow removal operations.
