GENERAL COMMITTEE-COMMUNITY SERVICES & ENVIRONMENT
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Paul Ingham, General Manager, Operations
	PREPARED BY:	Bob Walter, District Manager, Operations
	DATE OF MEETING:	February 6, 2006
	SUBJECT:	Petition for Subsidy for the 2005-06 Connecting Link Program

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled “Petition for Subsidy for the 2005-06 Connecting Link Program” be received;

AND THAT the Operations Department be authorized to petition for the statutory subsidy pursuant to The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act for 2005-06 Connecting Link Construction Projects to facilitate the retrofitting of the traffic signals to Light Emitting Diodes (LED) components along Main Street Markham North, from Centre Street to Ramona Boulevard;

AND FURTHER THAT Council approve the attached Connecting Link Construction By-Law (Schedule A) to authorize the execution and estimated cost as represented by the Minister of Transportation and the Corporation of the Town of Markham entered into pursuant to Section 116 of the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter P.50, as amended-Schedule A.

PURPOSE:

Pursuant to the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, the Council of the Town of Markham must petition the Province of Ontario to request an allocation of subsidy funds for the Connecting Link Program. These funds have been expended on the Connecting Link in accordance with the Act. A detailed statement of the expenditures is included in Schedule “B” of this report.

The Ministry will not release interim subsidy payments until such time as Council has passed the Connecting Link Construction By-Law.

BACKGROUND:

In November of 2004 the Operations Department identified projects to the Ministry of Transportation for 2005 that would potentially improve traffic operations on the Connecting Link (Main Street Markham), as well, that would qualify for funding under the Highway Transportation Improvement Act. The suggested projects included traffic signal improvements at Parkway Ave., Ramona Blvd. /Bullock Drive, Robinson Street, and Centre Street.

The improvements were in the form of retrofitting the existing traffic signals with Light Emitting Diodes, (LED), which was aligned with the five year program for upgrading all Town traffic signals which was adopted by Council on November 24, 2004. The LED traffic signal display has proven that it is much more energy efficient than incandescent lamps and requires less maintenance. As the LED unit price has lowered, this technology has become more attractive because of the energy efficiency and display quality in comparison to incandescent lamps. Since May 2003, LED displays have been used in the Town of Markham as the standard specification for all new installations of traffic signals and emergency signal maintenance.

In June of 2005, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) approved a 2005 connecting link construction allocation of $36,000 towards the replacement and retrofitting of the traffic controllers at the intersections of Main Street and Parkway Ave, Main Street and Ramona Blvd., Main Street and Robinson Street, and Main Street and Centre Street. This construction allocation was based on the cost estimates provide to the MTO by the Operations Department.

The MTO subsidy rate for connecting link construction projects in 2005 is 90% of actual expenditures. In order to conform to the provisions of the Connecting Link agreement and be eligible for the subsidy payment, projects must be completed prior to December 31, 2005, in order to be eligible for subsidy payment. Work was completed as of December 15, 2005.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The actual cost to complete the Main Street Markham traffic signal retrofit was $37,779.44 exclusive of GST. The Ministry of Transportation Connecting Link Program will provide a subsidy in the amount of $34,001.50 (90% of $37,779.44). Funding for the balance, in the amount of $3,777.94 ($37,779.44 - $34,001.50) is provided for in the 2005 Operations Department Capital Account # 050 6150 6614 005 LED Traffic Signal Displays Retrofit & Replacement Program. The balance remaining in this Capital project of $41,222.06 ($45,000 – $3,777.94) will be used towards other LED traffic signal display retrofits as outlined in the 2005 Capital Budget submission.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment ‘A’ – Connecting Link Construction By-Law

Attachment ‘B’ – Letter MTO

Attachment ‘C’ – Statement of the Expenditures

Peter Loukes, P. Eng. Director, Operations and Asset Management

Jim Sales, Commissioner of Community & Fire Services

Q: commission share\operations and asset management/reports\2006\operations\/roads\ Petition for Subsidy for the 2005-06 Connecting Link Program

ATTACHMENT ‘A’

BY-LAW 2006-

A By-law to authorize the execution of a proposal and cost as represented by the Minister of Transportation and the Corporation of the Town of Markham entered into pursuant to Section 116 of the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter P. 50, as amended.

WHEREAS the proposal and cost dated the 21st day of December, 2005, for the retrofitting of traffic controllers with Light Emitting Diodes, at the intersections of Main St./Ramona Blvd., Main St./Parkway Ave., Main St./Robinson St. and Main St./centre St. being part of a highway designated as a Connecting Link has been prepared.

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED BY THE Council of the Corporation of the Town of Markham that:

1. The hereinbefore recited proposal and cost be approved: and

2. The Mayor and Clerk be and they are herby authorized and directed to sign the hereinbefore recited proposal and cost and to affix thereto the seal of the Corporation.

READ A FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD TIME AND PASSED THIS

DAY OF , 2006.

________________________________ _____________________________

SHEILA BIRRELL, TOWN CLERK DON COUSENS, MAYOR

ATTACHMENT ‘C’