Laval City Hall Watch - September 28 2016
City Watch
Major roadway construction to be completed fall of 2016
While existing roadworks are ongoing no new major road artery reorientation projects are scheduled to start this fall. The only projects yet to be started include repaving stretches of boulevards Curé Labelle in Chomedey, St. Elzear Boulevard west of highway 15 which are scheduled for the end of September. Major work on the boulevards Notre Dame, Curé-Labelle and the Terry Fox Avenue are almost completed. The administration advises its citizens to remain vigilant and take note of the new traffic signs and regulations governing traffic flow in these construction zones which should be completely installed by the end of October. Motorists will then have to abide by the time restrictions for dedicated lanes for buses and cyclists.
Improving westward traffic flow
In order to address a bottleneck of traffic westward especially from the 440 Highway East and central industrial park key changes are being developed at the Curé-Labelle Boulevard / Edith Street and Boulevard Curé-Labelle / Dagenais Boulevard intersections. The addition of a new median at the Corbusier Boulevard, northbound at the corner of boulevard Dagenais, will allow for an additional lane of traffic flowing to the north and the implementation of newly synchronized green traffic lights dedicated to shift traffic westward is expected to improve travel to the Sainte-Rose and Fabreville Auteuil districts.
According to public planners additional automobile traffic lanes added to the Daniel-Johnson Boulevard, south of Saint-Martin should also ensure a smoother transit between the Centropolis area, Montmorency metro station and the high-tech park. In the industrial park center, pedestrian access to the new bus stops will be friendlier since sidewalks will finally be provided on the boulevard Le Corbusier.
Developing alternative transport strategies
Laval has seen major development in its public transportation systems in the past decades. Two commuters train lines, three subway stations, a new central bus terminal as well as reserved parking for public transit users are some of the infrastructures that have made travel to and from Laval not only more accessible but also environmentally friendlier. While recent roadway improvements acknowledge that the automobile continues to occupy a prominent place in travel habits of Laval residents the administration continues to look for ways to reduce the dependence on this mode of transportation.
Travellers can now complement travel on the public bus system with their bicycles as some buses have been equipped with the Cyclobus infrastructures which are racks that can transport bicycles. Certain bus routes are now equipped to handle persons with reduced mobility. Carpooling, an expanding network of preferred parking at access points to public transit, as well as a program to swap old vehicles for a STL transit pass are all expected to reduce dependency on cars.
Also the Electric Circuit network is a major step in the deployment of the charging infrastructure needed to support the use of plug-in electric vehicles in Québec. As of January 2013 nearly one hundred fifty (150) public charging stations at 240 volts are in service in parking lots of the AMT (Metropolitan Transportation Agency) and many RONA hardware stores, grocery stores and metro St-Hubert in Quebec. Since its inauguration on 30 March 2012, eighteen (18) other private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit. Its expansion will continue to provide greater geographical coverage and service to a greater number of Electric Car drivers in several regions of Quebec. While most of the energy charging needs of electric vehicle owners is done at home or at work, public infrastructure enables motorists to drive with peace of mind by offering them the possibility to refuel on route when necessary. Users of the electrical circuit have access to a 24 hour hotline managed by CAA-Québec.
Go Browns expands organic waste collection
This fall the City of Laval will expand its organic waste garbage collection to serve an additional ten thousand homes in selected areas of the Duvernay, Auteuil, Vimont, Chomedey and St. Dorothée districts. Since 1996 a total of 7,118 homes in Champfleury, Chomedey and Laval-des-Rapides have been benefiting from this service. The new initiative is the first step of an effort to meet the provincial government requirements asking for the reduction of 60% organic materials generated in the territory ending up in local landfills.
The collection zones were separated by natural axes. It is possible that a citizen will benefit from this service in 2016 while the neighbor across the street may have to wait a few years, “said Virginie Dufour, Executive Committee Member, responsible for environmental issues at the City of Laval. “However, we are planning that at least one sector in each electoral district will benefit from the organic waste collection service by 2017″.
Le Berger Blanc awarded a transitional contract for animal services.
In response to the publics concerns raised in social media and via Laval’s 311 telephone service, the administration wanted to reiterate its position with regards to animal services management. Last fall a public call for tenders was issued (SP-28670) for the procurement of professional services and infrastructures required to develop an animal shelter and services centre by the end of 2018. Moreover, an amount of $15.3 million has been set aside for this purpose and is budgeted in the three-year capital expenditures program for 2016-2018. It is expected that the preliminary studies and plans to develop the centre will be ready by the end of this year. A site (owned by the City) has in fact already been reserved and soil characterization studies are ongoing.
Laval Mayor Marc Demers explained the transition process.” In order to meet the planned opening date of the future animal services centre (Centre de services animaliers de Laval), we are awarding Le Berger Blanc a transition contract, following its approval by City Council members. And lastly, I wish to point out that we also intend to call upon independent inspectors who will be able to make impromptu visits there and check compliance with good animal health practices.”
Sandra Desmeules, member of the Executive Committee and in charge of animal management matters, provided the details of the contract awarded by the City: “This three-year contract in the amount of $1,836,000 has a one-year renewal clause. Most definitely, our new service provider must fully comply with the requirements of current laws and bylaws. Le Berger Blanc has moreover agreed to take part in the process aimed at joint participation of the local organizations.”
Le Berger Blanc for its part has been responsible for animal care since February 27th 2016 and is obligated contractually to: examine, vaccinate, deworm, sterilize and microchip all animals before they are adopted; refuse residents’ requests to euthanize any healthy animals; take part in organizing two days of microchipping, adoption and sterilization of animals every year, in conjunction with local organizations and is mandated to cooperate with other animal shelters in order to promote transfers so as to maximize adoptions
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