Circle Drive South Project Update: June 14, 2013

There will be some significant road detours and road openings next week. The detours are needed as a new ramp is being built off 11th Street West, and the roads being opened let motorists travel on part of the new Circle Dive South roadway as they head north and south in the area. The detour is expected to occur during the week of June 17, weather permitting—please watch for signs.

• The off-ramp from Circle Drive southbound to 11th Street West will be closed. Traffic wishing to access 11th Street from Circle Drive southbound will need to take the new Circle Drive south to Valley Road, Valley Road west to Dundonald Avenue, and then travel north on Dundonald Avenue back to 11th Street. The closure is required to construct the new ramp from Circle Drive southbound to 11th Street West. The closure is expected to last three weeks.
• In addition, the new lanes and ramps of Circle Drive from south of Clancy Drive to Valley Road will be opened. Valley Road will be fully opened from Circle Drive to the west project limit. Circle Drive will remain closed from Valley Road east to Idylwyld Drive. Work will be ongoing along the open roadways so localized lane closures may occur. The speed limit along the roadways will be restricted to 60 km/h until all work is complete.
• Traffic heading north on Valley Road will not be able to access Dundonald Avenue, but will need to take the new Circle Drive north to 11th Street West. 

Roadways To Be Opened Week of June 17th.

11th Street Detour.

Landfill Gas to Energy Project to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Generate Revenue

In January 2013, Saskatoon City Council approved the City to enter into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement that will allow the City to sell the power generated by the Landfill Gas to Energy Project to SaskPower. This is the first power generation facility to be built and owned by The City of Saskatoon in over 100 years.

This illustration shows where the facilities are located at the Landfill.

The Landfill Gas to Energy Project, already underway at the Saskatoon Landfill, involves capturing methane-rich landfill gas that is naturally produced as waste decomposes, and piping it to a power station that will be built just west of the landfill.

A clay cap has been installed over a section of the landfill, trapping the landfill gas within the waste mass. Twenty-nine wells have been drilled into the landfill and underground piping has been installed to connect the wells to a vacuum compressor, which will draw the gas out of the landfill.

After the gas is collected, it will be piped to a power generation facility and combusted in engine-generator sets to generate electricity. The City will recover the heat energy produced during this process and use it in the Turboexpander project, another power generation project underway at the Landfill. Essentially, the gas will be used to generate both heat and electricity, referred to as ‘combined heat and power.’

With the Power Purchase Agreement with SaskPower in place, the next steps include completing construction of the two facilities (the Gas Collection Facility and the Power Generation Facility), constructing a transmission line to the Power Generation Facility (to be completed by SaskPower), constructing the pipeline under Valley Road (to be completed by TransGas), and commissioning of the two systems.

By 2014, the project will begin delivering the green energy produced. The City expects to generate about $1.3 million each year from the sale of the energy to SaskPower.

Other Project Benefits

• GHG emissions will be reduced by over 45,000 tonnes per year – that’s equivalent to removing over 9,000 vehicles from our roads each year. 
• Enough energy to power 1,300 homes each year will be produced. 
• Air quality at the Landfill will be improved and odours in the area will be reduced. 

Find out more here.

Get Downtown in Under 30 Minutes with Downtown Direct!

Starting July 2, two new direct transit routes will get passengers from the south-east part of Saskatoon to the downtown area in under 30 minutes.

The new “Downtown Direct” routes will travel non-stop from the Lakeview, Lakeridge and Lakewood neighbourhoods to downtown via the best route for optimum travel time. Three buses will travel the routes Monday to Friday, except for statutory holidays, on a schedule to accommodate typical work start and end times. Bus fare is the same as for other Saskatoon Transit routes.

Passengers travelling downtown from these neighbourhoods currently use either Route 50 or 60, both of which have an average travel time of about 50 minutes to reach downtown. These routes will continue to operate as normal, stopping to pick up/drop off passengers along the way.

The new routes are part of the Transit South-East Pilot Project. This area of the city was chosen for the pilot project as residents in these neighbourhoods currently experience the longest commute travel times on transit. The routes will be reviewed after one year, and if successful, will continue and be applied in other areas where direct routes would be appropriate.

The routes support the City’s Integrated Growth Plan that outlines a new way of growing for Saskatoon, including a new and improved new transit system that will allow for the movement of more people, in a more convenient and accessible way, and complements the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system being planned for Saskatoon.

For more information on the new routes, click here.

Be Water Wise

Did you know that in the summer months, water use in Saskatoon usually doubles? Much of this increase is due to lawn and garden watering.

When you are water wise you help the environment, save energy, save money, and help preserve our city’s water systems.

Over the next 10 weeks the City of Saskatoon will be reaching out to residents to share tips on how you can Be Water Wise.

How can you Be Water Wise?

Being water wise doesn't necessarily mean watering less, but it does mean watering smarter.

Watering Tips for Your Lawn

• If your lawn is established, water it deeply, but not more than once a week and skip a week after a good rain. If you leave footprints when you walk on your lawn it may be time to water.
• Water newly seeded lawns every other day until the grass reaches 5 cm; then water less frequently. Soak newly laid sod with 2.5 cm of water (1 inch), then water lightly every other day for about two weeks.
• Use the tuna can test to determine how long to run your sprinklers. Set a tuna can in each of your sprinkler zones and time how long it takes to fill it with water. That's how long you should run your sprinkler once a week if it's dry.

• Ensure your sprinklers are working properly and are targeted away from sidewalks to avoid wasting water. 
• Remember to turn them off if it's raining.
• Use drip irrigation systems/hoses for trees and shrubs and sprinkler systems that are timed to turn on and off automatically. 
• Avoid watering during the heat of the day or during windy times. Choose cool and calm times of the day to water your lawn and garden to minimize evaporation. 

For more tips on how you can Be Water Wise this summer, and to find out what the City of Saskatoon is doing to conserve water, click here.

Watch our video on the Importance of Water.

Circle Drive South Project Update: May 13, 2013

Spring (and good weather!) has finally arrived and that means construction work can really get going. Crews started paving the road bases last week.

The work left to be completed in 2013 will be the completion of all roadways which include Jasper Avenue, Preston Avenue, and Portage Avenue on the east side; as well as pavement on Idylwyld Drive, and the through‑lanes and all ramps at the Preston Avenue interchange. The west side work will include the completion of roadwork at the ramps on Valley Road; as well as the through-lanes on Circle Drive from 11th Street to north of Clancy Drive; and the off-ramp from southbound Circle Drive to 11th Street. The project will include the building of a new entrance road to the South West Industrial Area. The second lift of asphalt for all remaining through-lanes on Circle Drive from Clancy Drive to Clarence Avenue will also be completed this summer. The permanent pavement markings for these roads will follow the asphalt work.

Starting May 13th and continuing for approximately five weeks, there will be traffic restrictions around Circle Drive and the Clancy Drive intersection. Northbound traffic will move to the southbound lanes for a week (as crews install catch basins, curbs and paving), and then both outside lanes close and the centre lanes open for traffic for four weeks (as crews install street lights and barriers). Then clean-up work for a few days, and all lanes will then open up. Please watch for the signs and drive safe.

The combined pedestrian-cyclist pathways have been graded, with construction of lighting and surfacing to be completed this year. The landscaping, including topsoil and seeding will be completed in spring 2013, with tree and shrub planting to be done in 2013/2014. The contractor has completed 90% of all traffic signing.

Crews are at work during the week, but often in areas (especially on the west side) that aren’t visible to the public. They do not work 24/7 on this particular project, as that is the arrangement the contractor has with its crews and sub-trades.

The contractor has indicated that the project will open to traffic on July 31, 2013, except for the Preston Avenue Interchange, which will open in September 2013.

Excavation work.

Work on an underpass.

Placing asphalt.

Pouring concrete barriers.

City of Saskatoon Pesticide Reduction

The City of Saskatoon is participating in an education campaign along with various organizations in Saskatchewan, including the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Canadian Cancer Society-Saskatchewan Division, to raise awareness about reducing the use of cosmetic pesticides.

The City would like to highlight some of the work that is being done to ensure the safety and health of Saskatoon citizens.

Through the work of the Parks Branch, the City has been a leader among municipalities in discontinuing the use of herbicides. City of Saskatoon lands have been herbicide free since 2004. Furthermore, the City is committed to the use of the least toxic control methods wherever possible to control pests. See the City of Saskatoon’s Integrated Pest Management System page for details

The City has established “Cultural Turf Practices,” that focus on the health and vigour of parks and which have enabled the City to control broad leaf weeds on Saskatoon’s sports fields. Turf maintenance training, education, and innovative partnerships are regularly employed so that the City’s turf maintenance teams get a better understanding of “best practices” when it comes to turf maintenance.

For a number of years now, the City of Saskatoon has supported public education campaigns on reducing pesticide use in our city. Public support for pesticide reduction has also been increasing. For example, the neighbourhood campaigns managed between 2006 and 2011 by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society found that 869 of the participating households had declared themselves ‘Pesticide Free.’

It is important to remember that chemical pesticides are poisons and should be used as a last resort and with extreme caution. There are a number of methods to create healthy, beautiful outdoor spaces without the use of pesticides. It is also important to learn about what pests are harmful (e.g. bark beetles), and which can be tolerated (e.g. dandelions).

To find helpful tips on how to tackle weeds, insects, and other pests in your yard, visit www.bepesticidefree.ca or the City of Saskatoon’s Pesticide Information page.

Placement of Drop Boxes at Recycling Depots - Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI)

Expressions of interest (EOI) are now being accepted for Placement of Drop Boxes at City of Saskatoon Recycling Depots. The purpose of the EOI is to allocate available space at the depots for drop boxes (collection bins for charitable items) through a fair and equitable process.

The submission deadline is 4 p.m., April 19, 2013. For more information please visit: http://owl.li/jy7qA or contact environmental.services@saskatoon.ca or 306-975-2487.