On Monday, November 1st, the City’s Transportation Committee approved amendments to the Road Activity By-law that would both mitigate the impact of road work on mobility and protect Ottawa’s roads.
The changes to the by-law, which governs work done on City roads, include updates to fees and staff resources, a new business process to manage construction impacts, enhanced road resurfacing policies and changes to temporary construction encroachment permits.
Utility companies and City works would be subject to broader requirements when resurfacing cuts into pavements that are less than three years old, and all road cuts within one metre of the curb would have to be resurfaced all the way to the curb. Pavement degradation fees would be updated to reflect the greater cost to the City from cuts into asphalt roads.
The City would update processes to ensure it considers construction impacts in the right of way as part of the application process for site plans and subdivisions. This would help developers identify potential issues and reduce construction delays.
A new structure for permit fees would fully fund 10 new full-time equivalent positions to implement the proposed changes and ensure the City can consistently meet service delivery times year-round. Changes would come into effect on January 1, 2022.
Recommendations from this meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, November 10.
