Posts: 2,015
Threads: 11
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation:
77
Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of summer road projects are behind from where they should be this late in the construction season?
Also, it seems to me like the problem of not finishing infrastructure projects on time is getting worse over time? Is that the case? Is there some sort of objective measure reported to council? If true what would be the reason? More complicated projects/older infrastructure? Inexperienced companies? Companies low-balling bids too much and then not having enough staff to get things done on time? The last few construction seasons seem to have been pretty good weather wise (early spring/late winter, few rainy days).
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
Posts: 1,848
Threads: 3
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation:
162
(10-11-2018, 10:36 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of summer road projects are behind from where they should be this late in the construction season?
Also, it seems to me like the problem of not finishing infrastructure projects on time is getting worse over time? Is that the case? Is there some sort of objective measure reported to council? If true what would be the reason? More complicated projects/older infrastructure? Inexperienced companies? Companies low-balling bids too much and then not having enough staff to get things done on time? The last few construction seasons seem to have been pretty good weather wise (early spring/late winter, few rainy days).
I agree with you. The Ottawa Street rebuild that started last summer and was to be completed last fall is still not done. They are painfully slow in completing landscaping and the top coat of pavement still hasn't been put down. I brought this up with Scott Davey who is running for re-election in my area and his response was so predictable, it is a regional project. I get that, but who is going to advocate for the city if the local counselor doesn't get involved and take people to task. It is as though the Regional and City project mangers figure, oh well, just go with it !! If the contractors are being spread to thin, then open up the tender process to more contractors and ditch the silly must be union workers aspect!!!
Posts: 668
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2017
Reputation:
26
(10-12-2018, 09:38 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: (10-11-2018, 10:36 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of summer road projects are behind from where they should be this late in the construction season?
Also, it seems to me like the problem of not finishing infrastructure projects on time is getting worse over time? Is that the case? Is there some sort of objective measure reported to council? If true what would be the reason? More complicated projects/older infrastructure? Inexperienced companies? Companies low-balling bids too much and then not having enough staff to get things done on time? The last few construction seasons seem to have been pretty good weather wise (early spring/late winter, few rainy days).
I agree with you. The Ottawa Street rebuild that started last summer and was to be completed last fall is still not done. They are painfully slow in completing landscaping and the top coat of pavement still hasn't been put down. I brought this up with Scott Davey who is running for re-election in my area and his response was so predictable, it is a regional project. I get that, but who is going to advocate for the city if the local counselor doesn't get involved and take people to task. It is as though the Regional and City project mangers figure, oh well, just go with it !! If the contractors are being spread to thin, then open up the tender process to more contractors and ditch the silly must be union workers aspect!!! Only the province can do anything about the "must be union workers" aspect. There's also the factor of a labour shortage within the construction industry that is also difficult to address.
Posts: 1,848
Threads: 3
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation:
162
(10-12-2018, 09:50 AM)trainspotter139 Wrote: (10-12-2018, 09:38 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: I agree with you. The Ottawa Street rebuild that started last summer and was to be completed last fall is still not done. They are painfully slow in completing landscaping and the top coat of pavement still hasn't been put down. I brought this up with Scott Davey who is running for re-election in my area and his response was so predictable, it is a regional project. I get that, but who is going to advocate for the city if the local counselor doesn't get involved and take people to task. It is as though the Regional and City project mangers figure, oh well, just go with it !! If the contractors are being spread to thin, then open up the tender process to more contractors and ditch the silly must be union workers aspect!!! Only the province can do anything about the "must be union workers" aspect. There's also the factor of a labour shortage within the construction industry that is also difficult to address.
Which is why we need to get rid of contracts that require union labour...
Posts: 668
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2017
Reputation:
26
(10-12-2018, 10:05 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: (10-12-2018, 09:50 AM)trainspotter139 Wrote: Only the province can do anything about the "must be union workers" aspect. There's also the factor of a labour shortage within the construction industry that is also difficult to address.
Which is why we need to get rid of contracts that require union labour...
getting rid of the requirements for union labour won't help that either. The labour shortage is systemic and affects non-union shops as much or more than union shops.
Posts: 838
Threads: 10
Joined: Jul 2017
Reputation:
43
I like how the answer to labour shortages isn't "pay them more to make it a desirable job" but "stop requiring union labour so we can exploit more desperate people".
Posts: 4,938
Threads: 155
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation:
128
(10-12-2018, 09:50 AM)trainspotter139 Wrote: (10-12-2018, 09:38 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: I agree with you. The Ottawa Street rebuild that started last summer and was to be completed last fall is still not done. They are painfully slow in completing landscaping and the top coat of pavement still hasn't been put down. I brought this up with Scott Davey who is running for re-election in my area and his response was so predictable, it is a regional project. I get that, but who is going to advocate for the city if the local counselor doesn't get involved and take people to task. It is as though the Regional and City project mangers figure, oh well, just go with it !! If the contractors are being spread to thin, then open up the tender process to more contractors and ditch the silly must be union workers aspect!!! Only the province can do anything about the "must be union workers" aspect. There's also the factor of a labour shortage within the construction industry that is also difficult to address.
I've heard this is a particularly large issue here, but don't know how true that is.
Posts: 1,848
Threads: 3
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation:
162
(10-12-2018, 10:22 AM)robdrimmie Wrote: I like how the answer to labour shortages isn't "pay them more to make it a desirable job" but "stop requiring union labour so we can exploit more desperate people".
Just to be clear, I would never advocate for people not getting compensated appropriately for their work !!! Never would I want that. I am trying to look at the labour market from a different perspective. I just dont understand why the need for government jobs do be handled differently than the private sector, that all.
That was a big jump on conclusions...
Posts: 609
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2016
Reputation:
79
(10-12-2018, 10:22 AM)robdrimmie Wrote: I like how the answer to labour shortages isn't "pay them more to make it a desirable job" but "stop requiring union labour so we can exploit more desperate people".
Well said, and a sad state of affairs.
...K
Posts: 1,095
Threads: 2
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation:
33
10-13-2018, 08:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2018, 08:29 PM by timio.)
Ottawa from Trussler to David Bergey is behind schedule and will likely not be complete by end of year: https://www.kitchenerpost.ca/whatson-sto...into-2019/
Posts: 4,605
Threads: 16
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation:
150
How far into the winter can they do utility work like that? Especially for curing concrete and laying asphalt...
Posts: 668
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2017
Reputation:
26
(10-13-2018, 10:10 PM)KevinL Wrote: How far into the winter can they do utility work like that? Especially for curing concrete and laying asphalt...
If you heat a tent around the concrete you can do it in the dead of winter if you really wanted to.
Posts: 4,605
Threads: 16
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation:
150
As we learned on King Street, of course. Excellent point.
Posts: 4,938
Threads: 155
Joined: Aug 2014
Reputation:
128
(10-13-2018, 10:22 PM)trainspotter139 Wrote: (10-13-2018, 10:10 PM)KevinL Wrote: How far into the winter can they do utility work like that? Especially for curing concrete and laying asphalt...
If you heat a tent around the concrete you can do it in the dead of winter if you really wanted to.
It'll certainly give us a lot to talk about 
Posts: 6,905
Threads: 32
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation:
224
|
