October 22, 2025 - Minutes

Date:

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Carol Day, Chair
Councillor Michael Wolfe
Councillor Chak Au (by teleconference)
Councillor Kash Heed
Councillor Alexa Loo

Also Present:

Councillor Andy Hobbs
Councillor Billy McNulty

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Public Works and Transportation Committee held on September 17, 2025, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

AGENDA ADDITIONS

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That Ferguson Road be added as Item No. 3A;

(2)

That HandyDART be added as Item No. 3B; and

(3)

That Kingfisher Drive and Steveston Highway be added as Item No. 3C.

CARRIED

ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION

1.

Proposed 2026 Paving Program

(File Ref. No. 10-6360-15-01) (REDMS No. 8060623)

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) typical working hours for paving are 7am-7pm, with some work being done overnight, and the paving schedule is designed with flexibility, allowing coordination with capital and development projects to minimize impacts to the travelling public, and (ii) proposed funding for the 2026 Paving Program is being submitted for Council’s consideration as part of the 2026 Capital Budget, and that the funding will come from the City’s general revenue fund for roads.

Discussion ensued regarding (i) the list of the primary paving sites to be included in the 2026 Paving Program, (ii) the difficulty of paving Williams Road between No. 4 Road and No. 5 Road due to the road’s substructure, and a Capital submission to reconstruct the entire road, (iii) alerting the media of ongoing or upcoming road work, (iv) the milling and paving of roads and asphalt surfaces in priority order as identified by the City's Pavement Management System and staff, and (v) TransLink funding for some of the Major Road Network projects.

It was moved and seconded

That the staff report titled “Proposed 2026 Paving Program”, dated September 22, 2025, from the Director, Engineering be received for information.

CARRIED

2.

Bike Reuse Pilot Program Review

(File Ref. No. 10-6370-01) (REDMS No. 8144806)

Discussion ensued regarding (i) the possibility of providing helmets and locks and the associated costs, (ii) space allocation at the recycling depot and the current storage of bicycles for the pilot program, (iii) the proposed guidelines for the bike reuse program, including an application form, pre-scheduled pick-ups and waivers, (iv) various organizations that benefited from the pilot program, (v) the outcomes of the pilot program and approximate cost per bike collected and per bike reused and donated, and (vi) the recycling of bikes for scrap metal.

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that the main stakeholder interested in bikes for the purpose of repair and reuse is Richmond School District No. 38.

It was moved and seconded

That Option 3, as outlined in the report titled “Bike Reuse Pilot Program Review”, dated September 19, 2025 from the Director, Public Works, be approved.

CARRIED

COUNCILLOR KASH HEED

3.

TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN THE IRONWOOD AREA and no. 2 road and westminster highway

(File Ref. ) (REDMS No. )

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that three concurrent projects are underway, with the No. 2 Road and Westminster Highway intersection improvements nearing completion by the end of November.

Discussion ensued regarding (i) ongoing construction projects and traffic problems near the Ironwood area and No. 2 Road and Westminster Highway, (ii) lane closures as part of the Steveston Interchange Project, (iii) notifying the public of current road work/construction projects via social media posts, (iv) minimizing the inconvenience to the public and streamlining traffic control, and (v) regulations pertaining to traffic control measures.

Staff advised that a memorandum outlining provincial traffic control regulations and WorkSafeBC parameters will be provided.

Further discussion ensued regarding taking a proactive approach by notifying the media, including radio and TV stations, in addition to posting on social media, about current or upcoming road work/construction projects in Richmond.

As a result of the discussion, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That staff be directed to notify the media regarding road work in Richmond.

The question on the referral motion was not called as discussion ensued regarding a defective traffic signal button that has since been replaced by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

The question on the referral motion was then called and it was CARRIED.

COUNCILLOR MICHAEL WOLFE

3A.

 (File Ref. No. ) (REDMS No. )

Discussion ensued regarding (i) Metro Vancouver’s alternative approach to deliver the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Projects, specifically along Ferguson Road, and (ii) Metro Vancouver working closely with key stakeholders, including City staff.

3B.

(File Ref. No. ) (REDMS No. )

Discussion ensued with respect to correspondence received from the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition regarding HandyDART operations and the request to operate HandyDART in-house rather than be operated by a contractor.

In response to a query from Committee, staff advised that a memorandum regarding HandyDART and TransLink’s involvement can be provided.

COUNCILLOR BILL MCNULTY

3C.

Kingfisher drive and Steveston HIGHWAY

 (File Ref. No. ) (REDMS No. )

Staff provided an overview of the planned traffic safety improvements at Kingfisher Drive and Steveston Highway, including speed bars and signage.

In response to a query from Committee regarding hedge trimming, staff advised that sight lines will be reviewed and are a requirement under the Boulevard Maintenance Regulation Bylaw.

Discussion ensued regarding bicycle sensors, and staff advised that they would take the matter into consideration and report back.

4.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(i)

2025 “Getting Ready For Rain” Campaign and Seasonal Preparedness Activities

Staff advised that the 4^th annual “Getting Ready For Rain” campaign launched last week, with the campaign aiming to build community resiliency through preparing residents for heavy rainfall and helping to reduce localized flooding. The campaign has three primary objectives: educate residents, discourage harmful practices, and raise awareness of the City’s flood prevention activities.

Discussion ensued regarding the communications plan for the campaign.

In response to a query from Committee, staff advised that (i) the biggest impact to any rain event is leaves or branches and it is important to keep drainage infrastructure and gutters clear, and (ii) all catch basins are City infrastructure and residents can call the 24-hour Works Yard Dispatch or submit a service request through the City’s website.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:03 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Public Works and Transportation Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Carol Day
Chair

Shannon Unrau
Legislative Services Associate