Open Space Pathway Snow Clearing Service

g Number

COMMUNITY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE – OCTOBER 9, 2018

The Committee adopted the following resolution:

1.      Option One - Clear all open space pathway city wide be referred to the 2019 budget process for consideration.

2.      This report be forwarded to the October 29, 2018 meeting of City Council for information.

Recommendation #2 does not require City Council approval.

Councillors:  Jerry Flegel (Chairperson), Lori Bresciani, John Findura, Joel Murray and Andrew Stevens were present during consideration of this report by the Community and Protective Services Committee.

The Community and Protective Services Committee, at its meeting held on October 9, 2018, considered the following report from the Administration:

RECOMMENDATION

That this report be received and filed.

CONCLUSION

An analysis of the pathway service was completed, and several options including the cost and implications of clearing all pathways have been provided for your information.

This report will discuss the maintenance and clearing of open space pathways. Costs and benefits of lighting pathways will be presented to this Committee in a separate report from the Community Services Department at a future date in 2018.

BACKGROUND

Councillor Jerry Flegel moved, in amendment, seconded by Councillor John Findura, AND IT WAS RESOLVED, that Administration report back to the Community and Protective Services Committee, within six months, on the implications of maintaining, lighting and clearing an additional 32 kilometres of paved pathways, including the associated costs. (City Council February 27, 2018)

DISCUSSION

Currently, Regina has 88 kilometres of asphalt and concrete pathway throughout the open space network. This includes the 41 kilometre multi-use pathway and 47 kilometres of neighbourhood pathway segments.

Paved pathways are cleared for transportation if they are a multi-use pathway or are a high-use connector pathway to locations like schools, recreation centers and business areas.

A survey with our Municipal Benchmarking Network Canada (MBN Canada) partners in 2018 indicates that Regina clears more pathways (69 per cent) than most other Canadian municipalities in the network. Table 1.1 shows the percentage of pathway that each municipality clears.

Table 1.1 MBN Canada partner municipal snow clearing percentage comparison

Currently, 61.1 kilometres of the 88 kilometres of paved pathways are cleared by Parks Maintenance, as shown in appendix A. To help determine options, an analysis was done on the 26.9 kilometres of pathway currently not cleared. Table 1.2 shows the results of this analysis.

Table 1.2 Criteria not met for clearing analysis

* This does not include the concrete street to street connector path segments which are the responsibility of Winter Road Maintenance.

To better inform the Community and Protective Services Committee, several options were considered:

Option One – Clear all open space pathway City wide

Overview: An additional 26.9 kilometres of paved pathways would be cleared. All pathways in open space, including duplicate pathways, narrow concrete paths in pocket parks and paths that end without a destination, would be cleared.

Advantages: An increase in resident satisfaction due to more open pathways that would result in improved mobility and recreational opportunity in the winter season.

Disadvantages:

1.      An estimated $49,000 in additional annual operating expense (labour and equipment).

2.      An estimated $136,000 capital investment in fleet.

3.      The winter pathway maintenance service criteria would not be in alignment with the long-term financial viability goals outlined in Design Regina: The Official Community Plan, Bylaw 2013-48 and the Strategic Plan.

4.      Some parks were not designed to receive winter maintenance. Narrow paths, curbs and bridges prevent equipment from clearing pathways. There is the potential for damage to turf, which would require additional funding dollars allocated to repair.

5.      Some portions of the pathway network are alternates or end without a destination, as listed in Table 1.2.

Option Two – Update clearing criteria to include recreational opportunity

Overview: This option includes an additional four kilometres of paved pathways cleared. This would increase the percentage of pathways cleared from 69 per cent to 74 per cent.

In addition to the transportation criteria, Parks Maintenance would amend the criteria to include clearing eligible pathways longer than one kilometre, for recreational use. Pathways longer than one kilometre were chosen because these longer trails will provide recreational benefits to residents.

Advantages:

1.      An increase in resident satisfaction due to more recreational opportunity in the winter season.

2.      Further alignment with policy.

Disadvantages: The criteria change would result in an increased workload, at a cost of $4,600.

Option Three –Status quo, maintain current service levels

Overview: Parks Maintenance would continue to clear 69 per cent of pathways, for transportation.

Advantages: There would be no additional cost to maintain this level of service. The pathway service already meets the community transportation and the long-term financial viability goals outlined Design Regina: The Official Community Plan, Bylaw 2013-48, the Transportation Master Plan and the Strategic Plan.

Disadvantages: The pathway clearing service may not be in alignment with the recreational goals outlined in the Recreation Master Plan.

RECOMMENDATION IMPLICATIONS

Financial Implications

Option One – It would require an estimated $49,000 in additional annual operating expense (labour and equipment), as well as an estimated $136,000 capital investment in fleet. The 25-year Transportation Master Plan includes an additional 106 kilometres of new pathways, which would result in an estimated additional $243,800 commitment in operating expense.

Option Two - The criteria change would result in an increased workload, at a cost of $4,600.

Option Three – There will be no additional financial implication.

Environmental Implications

Option One –There is potential damage to existing turf and park infrastructure, which would require additional funding dollars allocated to repair. Some parks were not designed to receive winter maintenance.

Option Two – There would be no environmental implication.

Option Three –There is no environmental implication.

Policy and/or Strategic Implications

Option One –Winter pathway maintenance would be in alignment with the transportation and recreational community goals outlined in Design Regina: The Official Community Plan, Bylaw 2013-48, the Transportation Master Plan and the Recreation Master Plan, but would not be in alignment with the long-term financial viability goals outlined in these plans.

Option Two - Winter pathway maintenance would be in alignment with the transportation and recreational community goals, as well as the long-term financial viability goals outlined in Design Regina: The Official Community Plan, Bylaw 2013-48, the Transportation Master Plan, the Recreation Master Plan and the Strategic Plan.

Option Three –Winter pathway maintenance is already in alignment with the transportation community and the long-term financial viability goals outlined in Design Regina: The Official Community Plan, Bylaw 2013-48, the Transportation Master Plan and the Strategic Plan, but would not necessarily be in alignment with the recreational goals outlined in the Recreation Master Plan.

Other Implications

None with respect to this report.

Accessibility Implications

None with respect to this report.

COMMUNICATIONS

None with respect to this report.

DELEGATED AUTHORITY

None with respect to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

COMMUNITY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE

Tracy Brezinski, Secretary