The obligation to install and remove cones in 24 hours on construction sites will cause chaos and increase congestion on the roads, fears the construction industry. The City of Montreal, she claims to believe in the merits of the initiative, but will still put in place a smooth transition for this summer.
What there is to know
- As of Friday, construction contractors will be required to install and uninstall their signage surrounding a construction site 24 hours before the start or after the end of the work.
- Some fear that the City’s new measure will lead to additional costs and even more congestion.
- However, the City will give a transition period, accepting for this summer that permits granted before June 24 will be temporarily released from this requirement.
This measure was announced by the City at the end of March, on the sidelines of the Summit on construction sites, with the aim of combating the “significant number of ghost construction sites”. Its application will come into force on Friday, thus forcing builders to dismantle and reinstall their signs only 24 hours before the start or after the end of a construction site.
Originally, a 12-hour deadline was suggested by the City, which then agreed to go up to 24 hours after meetings with the industry during the same day. Many companies were hoping to discuss this further at a “follow-up meeting” held last week.
This meeting did take place last Tuesday, except that construction contractors doing business with the City consulted by The Press rather say they have been “given a fait accompli”, without the possibility of negotiations.
“Even more congestion”
At the Association québécoise des entrepreneurs en infrastructure (AQEI), director Caroline Amireault confirms that the industry is worried, as it is normally used to doing as much work as possible at night to avoid increasing congestion during the day. .
“You have to understand that often, companies will install their signage on Friday or Saturday evening so that a construction site starts on Monday. There, with the 24 hours, they will no longer be able to do so. It will delay work, but above all, to demobilize a site afterwards, they will have to do it during the day and not at night, which risks creating even more congestion. It will be more disadvantages than advantages,” she explains.
For meme Amireault, “it’s okay that the mayor wants to send a signal to citizens to improve traffic flow.” “But to do so will also put our workers at risk. At night, when we install or uninstall, there is much less risk for flaggers than during the day, ”continues Mme Amireault.
At night, it also takes much less time to get to the worksites. More time means more costs for the City.
Caroline Amireault, Executive Director of the Quebec Association of Infrastructure Entrepreneurs
She affirms that on construction sites such as the rapid bus service (SRB) Pie-IX for example, “it is quite simply impossible to demobilize in 24 hours”.
His group fears that the situation will push even more entrepreneurs out of Montreal. For her, the main thing would be to “work to have a better organization and a better synchronization of construction sites in general”. “That’s really what we have to work on, in addition to educating citizens. I’m pretty sure that if we explained to them that it will cost more, the population would prefer to wait three days. »
The story is the same for the president of the Association of workers in road signs of Quebec (ATSRQ), Jean-François Dionne. “We will constantly have to reinstall and uninstall sites when contractors run out of parts or labour. We are already short of employees. There is a shortage of at least 1,000 flaggers and installers in Montreal alone. It’s going to be hell,” he said.
“We all understand that the mayor doesn’t want to see the cones dragging, but it’s going too far, too fast. And it is the signallers who will first feel the anger of the world. First of all, companies could have been forced to carry out daily patrols on all their sites. That’s what we should have started with,” adds Mr. Dionne.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Ultimately, the intention of the City, “is really to support businesses in change,” says the head of infrastructure on the Montreal executive committee, Émilie Thuillier.
A smooth transition, promises Montreal
On the Montreal executive committee, infrastructure manager Émilie Thuillier assures us that the changes will be “gradual” this summer. “On June 24, what happens is that on all permits, the mention of 24 hours will be clearly indicated. But the permits issued before June 24, they will not have this mention, ”explains the elected official.
In fact, the City estimates that for this summer, its new rule will affect only about 25% of construction sites. “The 100% will be for the following season”, slips Mme Thuillier.
The elected official said, however, that she expected “everyone’s collaboration, even this summer”. “The status quo is just not possible anymore. Everyone counts on us to improve site management. And one of the things to do, precisely, is to reduce the obstacles and their duration, especially when there is no work, ”she continues.
“Of course we will follow as we go to adapt, and assess the impacts of our measures for the construction industry,” adds Ms.me Thuillier. But she persists and signs in stride: “We will also and above all look at the state of fluidity around the construction sites for the population. »
Ultimately, the intention of the City, “is really to support businesses in change.” “We are aware that this is quite a change and we will be there for everyone. But right now in Montreal, the fact is that it’s extremely frustrating for everyone to see shackles that are useless, and that are expensive too! “says the one who is also mayoress of Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
Transport planning expert at the University of Montreal Pierre Barrieau concedes that the City’s measure “will inevitably entail additional costs for entrepreneurs”. “That said, we are in a situation of social contract between the industry and citizens, who need access to the street, to parking lots. It will be difficult, there will be adjustments, but it is a necessary measure, ”he concludes.