TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 meeting of the Langford transportation and public works committee saw many recommendations for council, the most significant of which was the acceptance of the latest five-year engineering maintenance and operations budget and 2015 capital projects summary.
The $17.9-million capital projects proposal for 2015 is to be funded by a combination of grants, city reserves or development cost charge funds, and include the completion of the Leigh Road Interchange, the McCallum Road Connector, the start of the Westshore Parkway completion project and many other capital improvements for the city.
Some of these projects for 2015 are the continuation of their culvert replacement program (they replaced seven in 2014), various traffic signal upgrades, and a feasibility study and pilot project to examine the possibility of replacing LangfordB次元官网网址檚 streetlights with LED bulbs in an attempt to lower the long-term operating costs from energy use. They are also planning on adding way-finding signage within the city to help people more easily find what they are looking for, as well as to highlight and promote some of the cityB次元官网网址檚 amenities and services.
The 2015 operating budget is a proposed $4.08 million, which is a one-per-cent increase over 2014. This reflects the increase in city-owned assets such as roads, sidewalks and storm water ponds, for example. It also includes three outside beautification workers whose salaries have been moved into the engineering department from the parks department.
Another item passed at the committee meeting on Tuesday was the addition of transit stops on Happy Valley Road at Walfred Road, with two other locations selected by BC Transit for transit stops (near Quality Foods on Langford Parkway and on Bear Mountain Parkway) to be further reviewed, as there were concerns raised about those locations.
The Bear Mountain Parkway stop is reported to cost $32,000, for example, so funding alternatives are being sought for that project.
Langford city council meets as a full group on Monday, Jan. 19, which will be their first sitting of 2015.
