Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA)

The City of Toronto is taking a proactive and targeted approach to enabling safe transportation access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. The city has adopted a Complete Streets Policy, a Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and a Cycling Network Plan. By widening sidewalks, reducing vehicle lane widths, reducing speed limits and adding bicycle lanes, the city seeks to give users more options and eliminate serious injuries and fatalities. The City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is applying new products and techniques to roadway construction, using treatments such as crack sealing and micro surfacing to extend the life of the roads. The city is using a rubber asphalt repair material that expands and contracts with the road to create a better seal that prevents the infiltration of water. Crews are also using a new technique to penetrate more deeply into cracks, making repairs more resilient. In Quebec, a coalition of municipalities located outside urban centres is adding electric vehicles to their municipal fleets along with charging stations for public use. A car sharing program allows the vehicles, when not being used by city staff, to be reserved by residents who face a lack of public transit options. In 2018, the City of Vancouver, B.C. launched its first green bond offering of $85 million to fund environmentally sustainable initiatives and projects, while offering investors competitive returns. Eligible capital projects include investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, clean transportation, pollution prevention and control, sustainable water and wastewater management, and environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources. Overcoming challenges Decades of diminishing public investment in infrastructure in the latter half of the 20th