Edmonton's mayor pushes for more accountability on sidewalk closures

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City staff are too often blocking city sidewalks with construction barricades and signs for motorists, Mayor Don Iveson said Monday, pushing for an explanation.

He submitted a formal inquiry, giving administration until January to describe its policy and the “values” it uses to determine what to block with signage, fencing and construction materials.

“I’ve had a lot of persistent concerns from people,” said Iveson, describing how either city officials or contractors will often leave signs and post fences that cut off access for pedestrians, especially those with limited mobility.

It’s to the point “where if you’re in a wheelchair, you couldn’t get by. If you’re on a bike, you’ve got to basically slow down and walk it passed these detours.”

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

Iveson requests city investigate sidewalk obstruction methods
Pedestrian Rahul Deol says it wouldn’t be a bad idea for construction sites to make room for Edmontonians jaunting downtown.

On Monday, Mayor Don Iveson issued an inquiry into sidewalk and shared-use path obstructions, requesting administration determine if blockages can be mitigated.

Obstructions have become so commonplace that Deol has just become used to it.

“You can complain, but it’s just the way it is,” he said. “So I’ve learned to live with it.”

Iveson’s said many large city signs have collapsible bases that occasionally blow over on to sidewalks, adding the city could use signage that’s better.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

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City looking to improve pedestrian access to sidewalks to meet shift in commuter culture
The city is working to make it easier for pedestrians to get around construction, but people also need to be patient when crews or equipment block access to a sidewalk or bike route, according to one city Traffic Control supervisor.

Earlier this week, City of Edmonton Traffic Control Supervisor Brad Vanderhoek said he was “disappointed” when Mayor Don Iveson asked administration to investigate ways to stop construction blocking sidewalks so often.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

 

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Sidewalk obstructions ‘frustrating’ for people with disabilities in Edmonton
Jan Putter walked using his crutches along two blocks of closed sidewalks only to find out his bus stop was closed.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Putter, when asked about encountering closed sidewalks due to construction materials.

On Wednesday, a city official said signage or hoarding blocking sidewalks can be a "matter of perspective" for pedestrians, suggesting it wouldn’t be the end of the word if they had to walk a bit further.

But Putter, who has osteoporosis and uses crutches for most of the year, doesn’t exactly see it that way.

He said constantly diverting from construction sites can add up to the point where people can overstrain themselves.

“What I think is often a minor inconvenience for able-body people — and in my experience as a person with life-long disabilities — those things are not minor inconveniences when you’re already starting from a position of disability,” he said.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

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Fees could shorten sidewalk closures during construction projects, report finds
The City of Edmonton is pondering ways to speed up construction projects to make it easier and safer for people to get around — on foot, by bicycle and in their vehicles.

The city has been in a construction boom for the past few years and with it, there has been an increase in sidewalks being blocked by building projects.

Complaints about obstructed sidewalks and roadways increased from 566 in 2014 to 648 in 2016.

A city report released Thursday also shows the number of warnings issued for obstructions jumped from 374 to 535 in the same time period.

One option to alleviate the clutter is for the city to charge companies a fee for on-street construction permits, something it currently does not do.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-construction-obstruction-1.3997199

 

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Edmonton pledges new eyes-open approach to sidewalk hazards
Edmonton officials got an earful from people struggling to navigate Edmonton’s sidewalk hazards Monday.

It’s “pretty miserable right now,” senior Robin Inskip told council’s community services committee.

Complaints included construction companies who leave sidewalks blocked for years, city officials who put temporary or permanent signs on sidewalks when there’s lots of space on a boulevard, and residents who don’t clear their snow.

“There are many stories about people with (wheelchairs, power chairs and walkers) getting completely stuck,” said Inskip, frustrated at the piles of snow city plows leave halfway up sidewalk ramps.

It earned a mea culpa from city officials. Branch manager Gord Cebryk said the city hasn’t traditionally focused much on pedestrians in traffic operations: “We realize we need to get there.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...es-new-eyes-open-approach-to-sidewalk-hazards

 

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Edmonton considers charging for taking sidewalk space
It took Edmonton until this year to consider an idea Calgary has had since 1988: Charging developers for taking sidewalk space.

Following an earful struggling citizens gave city council members Monday about sidewalk hazards, Traffic Operations Acting Director Darryl Mullen said Tuesday Edmonton is considering charging developers for taking up public space during construction.

Mullen said companies would be motivated to re-open sidewalks faster if they were being charged for taking up the space with signage.

“It creates that monetary incentive for the contractor to be more efficient,” he said. “There are potential revenues, but we have to explore that further.”

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...iders-charging-for-taking-sidewalk-space.html

 

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Edmonton needs to step up on sidewalk repairs, says report
The City of Edmonton needs to step up its game when it comes to replacing temporary asphalt sidewalks with concrete, especially where asphalt creates safety issues, says Coun. Ben Henderson.

A new report recommending changes to the city's policy on sidewalk renewal will go before the urban planning committee April 5.

The report focuses specifically on the city's use of asphalt to patch uneven areas in concrete sidewalks.

"It's never as good as concrete," Henderson said Friday. "They (sidewalks) have got to be safe to use."

Sidewalks should be accessible to everyone, including those with mobility issues, Henderson said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...alt-concrete-knack-henderson-nickel-1.4049998

 

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I am working on this one.

 

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Edmonton to test new sidewalk-repar substance
The squiggles of tar patching cracks in Edmonton sidewalks could become a thing of the past, with crews set to test a new concrete-like product this summer.

City staff reported Tuesday it will pilot the new grey substance, in response to concerns from some residents that asphalt is unsightly.

“It starts to wear and then creates another trip hazard,” Coun. Michael Walters told the executive committee.

Walters requested in November that city administration determine how it can improve sidewalk problems, asking them to report on the costs associated with asphalt and concrete.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2017/04/05/edmonton-to-test-new-sidewalk-repar-substance.html

 

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Edmonton city council decides sidewalk patches will have to do for now
City councillors have resisted a call to get rid of temporary sidewalk patches as quickly as some Edmonton homeowners would like to see it happen.

On Tuesday, council’s executive committee decided against speeding up the process that could have seen temporary repairs ripped out in as little as two years instead of what’s done now.

If a sidewalk caves in, step one on the road to recovery is an asphalt patch. Step two is replacement cement, but that could be five years away.

Coun. Michael Walters asked for a report after hearing homeowners’ complaints about black asphalt patching up the sidewalks in front of their homes.

“I think it’s partly about safety for people,” Walters said. “It’s partly about people want a beautiful city and you’ve got these big black stretches of asphalt on sidewalks so it’s a small issue in the big scheme of things but a big issue for a lot of folks on their streets.”

http://globalnews.ca/news/3357470/e...des-sidewalk-patches-will-have-to-do-for-now/

 

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Open sidewalks: Edmonton ramps up plans to help stop construction obstructions
City planners want to make it easier for pedestrians to move in Edmonton, as closed sidewalks continue to cause people to frustratingly zigzag when getting to their destinations.

To improve walkability, city officials presented a draft plan Thursday that outlines what Edmonton must do to help stop construction crews from obstructing sidewalks with signs or materials.

“We need contractors to be more diligent on how they use that space,” said Brad Vanderhoek, a traffic control supervisor with the city.

The issue came to a boiling point last October when Mayor Don Iveson issued an inquiry into why sidewalks are being blocked. The move came after he received numerous complaints from pedestrians, particularly those with limited mobility.

So, to stop crews from allowing this to happen, the city will encourage contractors to use a street lane instead of the sidewalk to hoard material, ramp up inspections, and install more signage to alert pedestrians of closures before they reach the obstructed pathway.

“We need them to demonstrate why they need that space and how they’re going to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists,” Vanderhoek said.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...ewalks-construction-obstruction-walkable.html

Edmonton looking to relieve construction headaches for pedestrians and cyclists
It can be a frustrating experience for pedestrians and cyclists in Edmonton to have to navigate around a closed sidewalk or road because of construction.

The city wants to get rid of some of that frustration.

"This is long overdue," said Coun. Ben Henderson, describing a recent example where barricades were closing off pedestrian and cyclist access on River Valley Road, when no construction was evident.

"If we have ways [of] stopping that kind of sloppiness from happening, if there's a cost to that, then maybe [construction] people will be a little more careful," Henderson said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...-cyclist-construction-road-sidewalk-1.4193816