Winnipeg Roads & Infrastructure

[esquire]

Anyone following the Free Press series on the findings of a researcher who scrutinized the City of Winnipeg's Public Works department?

‘A pattern of incompetence or corruption, or perhaps both’

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...576231472.html

Alarming to say the least, but not exactly surprising.

[bomberjet]

I cant be bothered to get around the pay wall. Tried a couple vpn's and still wont go.

IIRC, Matt Allard had posted some stuff a while back about inconsistency. This one seems to be about them just doing work for no reason.

[1ajs]

Was aware of it from mat posting on it last week

[bomberjet]

Allard had made some postings with the same guy noted in the article. About how similar intersections, they used 4 different locations as examples, all had different traffic signal configurations. I didn't really pay much attention because everybody knows the City is inconsistent with things like this. Just like the merge signs.

The latest hubub though, seems to be over actively doing work numerous times just for fun.

I know some road work gets re-done because water and waste seemingly couldn't coordinate with public works. Traffic signals were being changed to the new style because the old style was out of production.

I may in fact subscribe to the FreeP on some level again because they seem to have regained my interest over the last while.

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I may in fact subscribe to the FreeP on some level again because they seem to have regained my interest over the last while.

I’ve had the same sentiments and resubscribed to them. Lately the free press has really stepped up their game so much that it feels like if I don’t have the subscription I would be missing out on critical information in regards to municipal affairs that the Sun, CBC, or CTV just doesn’t provide me with.

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

I’ve had the same sentiments and resubscribed to them. Lately the free press has really stepped up their game so much that it feels like if I don’t have the subscription I would be missing out on critical information in regards to municipal affairs that the Sun, CBC, or CTV just doesn’t provide me with.

Well put.
Most local outfits just aren't putting much, if any, resources into investigative journalism. The Freep, for all their flaws, at least is independent of the PostMedia noose and will devote resources to do the job of a proper newspaper without having to parrot a US hedge fund owner's conservative editorial stance.

As to the cost that so many people cite as a reason for not supporting them through a subscription - really? A digital subscription is like $4 a week. Most of us are pissing that out every day in coffee.

[Carrifien]

Try opening the article and then switching immediately to airplane mode.

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I cant be bothered to get around the pay wall. Tried a couple vpn's and still wont go.

IIRC, Matt Allard had posted some stuff a while back about inconsistency. This one seems to be about them just doing work for no reason.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Carrifien

Try opening the article and then switching immediately to airplane mode.

It would instantly ask me to login. Didn't work lol


Looking at the free press subscription.

Full price is $16.99/month, or $203 per year.

If I'm logged in with my email. There's a first year package with varying monthly costs, which works out to ~$96 for the first year. Then $16.99 per month afterwards.

If I log-out. You can get start at $120 for the first year. Then $150 each year after that. A 25% discount for the $203 price.

So a cheaper first year going monthly. But more expensive afterwards. Or just pay by the year and be cheaper long term.

[Biff]

^^^Which road is that.

[bomberjet]

Whatever road the hubub is all about. I'll let you know soon haha

[cllew]

Signals are the only ones doing make work projects.

I have noticed with sidewalks when residential streets are done intersections at P1 or P2 streets don't get the yellow tactile strips installed. Give it a year or so and when the P1/P2 gets fixed the nearly new sidewalk on the residential street gets broken out for the yellow strips to be installed.

[bomberjet]

Okay. So I read through the first article about the intersection at Osborne and St. Mary. My findings based on simply reviewing the article. Some of the points are valid. Some are not telling the whole story either.

2009 is the baseline. The article is written about a median pole and a curb based pole coupled to a hydro light standard.

2014 The City moved where the sidewalk crosses the street and median. So the traffic signal was in the middle of where the walkway would be located. This likely due to where public works wanted to place the sidewalk. Based on new standards or some engineering decision. They've been doing a lot of this around the City for pedestrian safety. Installing yellow tactile strips. They moved the pedestrian walkway back away from the intersection. The work also seem to be a precursor to future street works, which matched in to this work that was done.

2016 They replaced the median pole style for some reason. The base remained as is. Valid point. Would require explanation. In this year, Hydro replaced the street lighting likely as part of the street works. When they do this work, yes they installed a new base for the light standard right next to the old one. The article says this is wasteful. Like maybe, but this is standard practice when renewing old street lights. But how long has that base been in use and replacing is part of renewal. This is also on Hydro, not the City. The reattached the traffic signal to the new street light pole.

2021 The signals and poles were replaced with the new style of cantilever. I have no idea why it would be replaced like that again, and yes seems wasteful.

I feel like it's a mixed bag of reason and simply stating overarching malpractice or corruption is bullshit. However, I would say we all knew about this stuff widespread around the City. Having numerous poles being placed next to each other. Such as the traffic signal and hydro poles at intersections. So it's not a big shock to me at all. Maybe apathy.

A inquiry of sorts is most definitely warranted. Even if it further wastes City resources to complete in the inquiry.

I feel like in recent years I've noticed less waste on the street renewal projects. The sewers if they are going to be renewed are done prior to the street works being completed. In the past this was not always the case.

I will go on to read the next articles where I believe they talk about more waste on the streets front.

[bomberjet]

I will say the points about consistency are maybe counter argumentative for him. The City will need to upgrade lots of intersections for no reason to make them consistent.

They go on to talk about having documentation. Well of course they don't have documentation because they are not the City. They being Chris, etc.

To clarify, I'm not defending the City. I do not work for the City or make money from any of this. I'm looking at this from a devil's advocate point of view.

[bomberjet]

The rest of it is more of the same.

I think it's a case of yes the City not having a long term plan, it seems. And the lights being replaced based on current standards. They have standards that are used regardless of what these guys say.

I think some of this goes into how construction projects are both funded and implemented. And by whom. It's no secret getting the City, Hydro and engineers to work together and efficiently is very difficult. Some of this work goes into that category. Poles being moved once, then being moved again. It's a construction coordination thing and over the long term is the cost of doing business, unfortunately..

That's where I can see the biggest change coming is just coordination. The rest to me seems like there are reasons.

When replacing old stuff, it's moved or updated to new standards. Which can account for some of that. They have been replacing the cobra style 'davit' poles as I guess those are old and no longer manufactured. So replaced with the newer style.

The things like switching the direction of the pedestrian signals though. I have no clue why they'd be doing that.

And if it does come to down no reason at all. Just to keep busy, then they either have too many staff or are just being corrupt and need to be cleared out.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

The rest of it is more of the same.

I think it's a case of yes the City not having a long term plan, it seems. And the lights being replaced based on current standards. They have standards that are used regardless of what these guys say.

I think some of this goes into how construction projects are both funded and implemented. And by whom. It's no secret getting the City, Hydro and engineers to work together and efficiently is very difficult. Some of this work goes into that category. Poles being moved once, then being moved again. It's a construction coordination thing and over the long term is the cost of doing business, unfortunately..

That's where I can see the biggest change coming is just coordination. The rest to me seems like there are reasons.

When replacing old stuff, it's moved or updated to new standards. Which can account for some of that. They have been replacing the cobra style 'davit' poles as I guess those are old and no longer manufactured. So replaced with the newer style.

The things like switching the direction of the pedestrian signals though. I have no clue why they'd be doing that.

And if it does come to down no reason at all. Just to keep busy, then they either have too many staff or are just being corrupt and need to be cleared out.

Old style of signal pole and arms are still available. City closed a tender for them in May 2021. Looking at MERX I think it said there were 4 or 5 respondents to the tender so they are not a one off design.

I wonder if somebody in Signals wanted a different design for certain intersections for some reason which caused the new straight arm ones to start showing up?

[bomberjet]

Interesting. I heard they were going new style as old ones weren't available.

Obviously Hydro still uses that style. Cobra style poles is another term. But seems maybe they are rounded, and not the hexagonal like the old ones. I don't know. I cant get into merx so can't see what they spec'd.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Looking at the free press subscription.

Full price is $16.99/month, or $203 per year.

FWIW, you'll get back 15% of that in a tax rebate (Digital News Subscription Tax Credit)

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

Anyone following the Free Press series on the findings of a researcher who scrutinized the City of Winnipeg's Public Works department?

‘A pattern of incompetence or corruption, or perhaps both’

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...576231472.html

Alarming to say the least, but not exactly surprising.

It’s Winnipeg, what else would you expect?!

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Interesting. I heard they were going new style as old ones weren't available.

Obviously Hydro still uses that style. Cobra style poles is another term. But seems maybe they are rounded, and not the hexagonal like the old ones. I don't know. I cant get into merx so can't see what they spec'd.

Once the tender/bid closes the specs are usually available in the clear on the city website in the Meterials Management section of the finance dept. There have been a few times when they are not around for some reason.

Until then if one wants to see them you are correct that one needs a Merx account.

The bidding companies are usually available in the clear in MERX as long as the contract is being opened publicly

For example this is the spec requirement from one of the two traffic signal pole bids from 2021 that was available after it closed.

https://winnipeg.ca/MatMgt/FolderCon...2021&YEAR=2021

[bomberjet]

Oh that's awesome cllew. Thank you!