Laval city council adopted a new by-law at its April sitting which will hopefully improve traffic flow along streets where construction projects, maintenance, renovations or demolitions are taking place.
“With the adoption of this new by-law, our priority is to promote respectful and exemplary conduct towards everyone who uses the roads,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said in a statement.
As things now stand, according to the mayor, obstructions without permits in Laval are not only creating risks for the security of the public, but are also generating substantial costs for the city. “Better control will allow us to reduce how long disruptions on our roads are taking place,” he said.
The new by-law makes it mandatory for construction contractors to file a declaration with the city regarding how long they intend to occupy the sidewalk, bike path or street with stored construction materials and to obtain a permit.
A new schedule of permit fees comes into effect beginning on May 1. The rate charged will depend on factors such as the size of the obstruction, the amount of time it will be place and the type of street that stands to be impacted.
BIXI begins a new season in Laval
One of the sure signs of spring in Laval each year can be seen when self-serve BIXI rental bikes become available in Laval.
Last year, 295 BIXI units were deployed in various neighbourhoods of Laval and the same number is expected again this year. Two-hundred and fifteen of them will be regular pedal bikes, while 80 more will be electrically-assisted bikes available at 26 BIXI stations.
“Strengthened by its 2023 standings for active mobility, the City of Laval is increasing its offer to residents with an initiative aimed at encouraging active transit, in order to contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gases attributed to transportation,” Mayor Boyer said.
“Through concrete actions, we are reaffirming our commitment to promoting active, sustainable and environmentally-conscious mobility,” he added.
The city says that it in order to encourage active mobility among Laval residents, it will be offering 1,500 people from Laval a financial incentive ranging from $45 to $70 applicable to BIXI bike sharing services.
The offer is available to Laval residents 14 years of age and older. To qualify, applicants cannot have been subscribers to a bike sharing service since Jan. 1, 2019.
In addition to offering BIXI bike sharing, the City of Laval has been developing its network of bicycle paths. Nearly 15 kilometres of new bike paths are expected to be implemented this year. The city expects there will be 450 kilometres of bicycle paths by 2031.
City’s negotiations with blue collar workers ongoing
City of Laval officials issued a statement last week on negotiations with its unionized blue-collar workers regarding a new collective agreement.
A summary of the situation as it stands now:
- The last contract expired on December 31, 2021;
- The city asked for a mediator on October 26, 2023;
- A mediator was appointed on November 8, 2023;
- 20 mediation sessions were held on the following dates:
- 8, 16, 22 and 29 November 2023;
- 6, 18, 19, 21 and 22 December 2023;
- 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30 January 2024;
- 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 27 February 2024.
According to the city, mediation was supposed to last no longer than 60 days, but could be repeated twice, the last session having ended this past March.
“Should we fail to agree on a new work contract, the City and the blue-collar union have chosen to pursue mediation outside the legal framework, this effort having resulted in some progress,” said the city. “At the same time, the employer now wishes to go a little faster and accelerate negotiations,”
Although the parties haven’t yet reached an agreement, “discussions during the mediation period progressed on certain articles, although there is still a lot of work to be done, notably on the monetary aspect,” added the city. As such, the city says its negotiating team is ready and available to engage in a “negotiations blitz conducive to the implementation of satisfactory solutions for both sides.”
