Langford Council has proposed a budget just shy of $4.34 million for 2017 for transportation and public works, up by a little more than $103,000 – or one per cent – from last year.
According to a Dec. 13, 2016 staff report to Langford’s transportation and public works committee, the bump in overall budget is due to an increase in city-owned assets such as roads, sidewalks, and streetlights.
The addition of 3.3 km on Bear Mountain Parkway, due to open in September 2017, coupled with the West Shore Parkway Project’s segments 3 and 4 addition of 2.2 km, collector roads will increase by 5.5 km in 2017. Work on Dunford Avenue and new bike lanes on Atkins Avenue are projected to increase road maintenance costs as well.
Lake and pond maintenance will increase to $60,000, compared to $35,000 in 2016. This results from maintenance for storm ponds. Langford now has 23 storm ponds, with many of those added during the past five years.
Signal maintenance, budgeted at $155,000, will increase by $25,000, due in part to the addition of the new signal at Goldstream Avenue and Leigh Road.
The budget for Christmas lights, which decreased from $75,000 to $25,000 in 2016, will double to $50,000 for 2017. A good portion of last year’s budget went towards repairing displays and replacing damaged cords. Some of the additional funds are earmarked for lighting gateways at Leigh and Sooke roads, as well as West Shore Parkway and new Bear Mountain Parkway.
The budget in its entirety goes before council again for final approval in the spring.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
