As another blast of winter weather hits Montreal, a city councillor in Côte Saint-Luc is proposing authorities reconsider the idea of heated sidewalks.
Ruth Kovac says the city will pay up to $600,000 this winter to salt slippery outdoor surfaces such as roads and sidewalks — which is about $100,000 more than the previous year.
“It came as a bit of shock,” she said. “And it made me think again because it’s been discussed a number of times that it’s the way to go for the future.”
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Her proposal comes after the salt provider for Côte Saint-Luc was on strike and a halt in production drove costs up.
Aside from the price increase, Kovac argues heated sidewalks should be considered given all the associated costs that come with salt, such as dealing with corroded sewers and using fuel.
She also pointed out that cities in Japan, Europe and the United States have moved toward the measure and managed to make it work.
“We’re not the first to do this,” she said.
“I think we can learn from the others.”
While the idea of heated sidewalks is not new, it hasn’t gone over well in Montreal. Former mayor Denis Coderre proposed the measure as part of the facelift for the busy shopping artery of Ste-Catherine Street, but the city’s administration under the leadership of Valérie Plante nixed the proposal.
The Plante administration said heated sidewalks were too expensive and that the technology wasn’t there yet to support it.
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In Côte Saint-Luc, heating rods were tested outside of city council but they didn’t function as well in harsher winter conditions.
Kovac, for her part, said she thinks heated sidewalks could be useful for areas outside of schools, hospital and seniors’ residences.
She said she will have to prepare a case about costs. In January, she plans to find the best solutions to propose to council.
“I mean, it’s not going to happen overnight,” said Kovac. “It’s going to take a few years.”
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