York Region inspectors make sure your roads are safe

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 14, 2014
Sean Pearce

Driving a gleaming white Dodge pick-up, adorned with York Region logos, along Jane Street in Vaughan, southwest district manager for roads and road maintenance, Thomas MacPherson, scans the entirety of the streetscape stretching out before him, looking for issues ranging from potholes and debris to downed traffic signs and overgrown boulevard brush.

It’s just another day at the office for those responsible for patrolling York’s more than 3,500 lane kilometres of road.

“If you put those end to end in a straight line, they would stretch from here to Calgary,” MacPherson explains, adding staff are constantly cruising the region’s roadways looking for dangers and deficiencies alike. “We want to make sure we keep on top of our roads.”

How often a given route gets patrolled is dictated by provincial regulations based on its traffic volume and how it’s designed, he continues, adding each road is assigned a class based on those criteria. The majority of York’s roads are categorized classes one to four, he said, with a class one route, such as Hwy. 7, receiving more attention than a class two roadway, such as Major Mackenzie Drive.

Going past the site of the future Hwy. 407 subway station, MacPherson looks over the various construction entrances and exits to ensure they’re not a hazard for passing cars and other road users.

Nothing jumps out, but he does make a note to have one of the region’s street sweepers come by and clean up the dust and dirt left behind on the asphalt adjacent to the job site.

“We want to make sure we work with individuals and others using our roads so there’s nothing dangerous,” he says. “We also want there to be a minimal impact for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.”

In the south, Steeles Avenue marks the end of the region’s jurisdiction. It’s maintained and monitored by the City of Toronto, MacPherson says, but, even so, York crews will give their counterparts in Ontario’s capital a heads up if they notice something perilous or otherwise amiss.

York’s eastern and western borders, York-Durham Line and Hwy. 50, are shared jurisdiction roads and looked after jointly with the regions of Durham and Peel, respectively.

Turning up Weston Road, MacPherson re-heightens his alertness for road issues.

Again, this route isn’t in bad shape. Pothole season has long since passed, as the majority of the loathed divots in the pavement manifest in the early spring when freeze-thaws are most common.

 Any potholes or other problems spotted while out on patrol are jotted down in a log book for future repair by a roads crew or, in the case of a particularly nasty bump or break in the road, filled right away by the patroller who spotted it.

A similar approach goes for signs. In the case of broken or missing information signs, such as “geese crossing” or street name signs, a work order is generated to have a crew come back and replace it at a later time, MacPherson says, while more critical placards, such as stop signs, call for immediate attention and the erection of a temporary replacement until a new permanent one can be installed.

The region has its own sign shop at one of its facilities in East Gwillimbury, where it can make most of the replacements it needs, although a few more niche notices, such as a “turtle  crossing” sign, require special order. As it is, the transportation yard in southwest district, one of the four found in the region, is well stocked with a number of common warning and street name signs.

Also on the patrol docket for today is Hwy. 7.

Hwy. 7 is the target for perhaps one of the most significant roads projects ever undertaken in the region, that being the construction of the VivaNext bus rapidways. Similar work is now underway along Davis Drive in Newmarket as well, with completion expected next year. Bus rapidways are also eyed for sections of Yonge Street in Newmarket and Richmond Hill in the not-too-distant future.

In Vaughan, the western end of Hwy. 7 in York Region, MacPherson stops to observe contractors engaged in utility relocation work and explains all of those lane closures and otherwise working on the roads are required to adhere to specific guidelines set out in the Ontario Traffic Manual.

Both the region and the province ensure there is always a method to the seeming construction madness, so everyone works safely.

There is also a permit process in place for road construction. Last year, the region issued about 3,500 permits, MacPherson says, or about one for every lane kilometre of roadway.

From its very beginnings to the finished product, MacPherson heads east along Hwy. 7 to sections of completed rapidway in Richmond Hill and Markham. These represent not only increased mobility for residents, but also more assets for those on roads patrol to monitor and for regional staff to maintain, MacPherson says, drawing attention to novel elements such as the new “bike boxes” intended to help cyclists navigate intersections more safely.

Heading toward Hwy. 404, construction activity begins once more. Even amid all of the flashing lights and orange and black construction barrels, the region does its best to move people efficiently and effectively, MacPherson says, at one point drawing attention to the electronic notice boards set up to inform motorists of potential delays and estimated travel times.

Speaking of the rapidways, the topic turns to winter as snow cannot be plowed traditionally within them, lest it block standing space for transit users. Instead, one of the new tactics being deployed is to blow the stuff into the back of a dumptruck so it can be transported to a snow storage facility the region shares with the Town of Richmond Hill.

In the summer, there’s always somebody working and on-call, but it’s the winter when it’s truly all hands on deck for the region’s roads workers, MacPherson said, as the snow can fly any time. Fortunately, the truck is equipped with a laptop computer to monitor incoming inclement weather and has an onboard laser thermometer that can measure the temperature of the air and asphalt to best determine the appropriate response to any given storm event.

As for the previous winter, it was busy, MacPherson says, but he suspects that’s just because it was more of a traditional Canadian cold season.

“This last winter was more of a normal winter, like when we were younger,” he said. “I think we got lucky the past few winters.”

MacPherson goes on to say he’s grateful York Regional council has seen fit over the years to invest in a number of important tools and technologies, so roads crews are ready no matter what the elements and other factors may throw at them. Roads are a big priority for council and the region, he says, noting York has a $1.2-billion, 10-year roads capital plan in place.

Starting back toward where his patrol began, MacPherson points to a number of advertising signs on one of the boulevards. Such signs are required to have a permit sticker from the region affixed to them and be placed in such a manner as not to block sightlines for traffic. Those that violate either condition are removed.

Suddenly, MacPherson notices a fallen construction sign encroaching slightly on the roadway. He quickly and safely turns his vehicle around and pulls up to the offending orange sign and activates his truck’s warning system. A few moments later, the sign is laid flat on the boulevard grass and no longer poses a risk to passing road users.

And signs aren’t the only things patrollers occasionally find laying on the side of the road. Couches, old TVs, appliances, you name it, regional staff has probably come out and collected it, MacPherson says, noting dumping is illegal.

Another less pleasant part of the job is that roads patrols do sometimes come upon animals that have been struck or killed. It’s unfortunate to find and remove any dead or injured animal, especially when it’s someone’s pet, MacPherson says.

“People treat their pets like they’re part of the family,” he says, adding the OSPCA and/or local animal shelters are contacted in the case of incidents involving tagged or microchipped pets. “We want to make sure the owners are notified.”

Returning to the roads yard in Vaughan brings the day’s patrol to an end.

It’s a big job keeping tabs on so many roads and an important one and that’s one of the reasons that the region encourages citizens to call in any issues they come across.