Smithers council has awarded the 2025 traffic marking contract while also increasing the budget for it.
Council agreed to up the budget from $123,000 to $145,000 and give it to DBA Yellowhead Pavement Marking.
It was the only bid received. Yellowhead Pavement Marking, based in Terrace, has successfully completed the Smithers traffic marking/line painting contract each year for the past several years. Painting will be scheduled for May-June and will begin when the operations department has cleared the roads of winter sand and debris.
Council also directed staff to add painting of the rainbow crosswalk (at the intersection of Main Street and Second Avenue) to the 2025 Traffic Marking Contract at a cost of $7,500.
Councillors had a brief discussion on whether to include a $7,500 line item for a rainbow crosswalk in the $145,000 traffic marking budget.
Councillor Sam Raven suggested making it an assumed portion of the contract, while Councillor Laura Leonard preferred keeping it separate due to rising costs. She also emphasized the need for staff discretion on repainting.
"I would like to see it separated, the $7,500 cost," she said. "I mean, last year, it was about $4,500 so it's become quite expensive in terms of the overall traffic marketing budget. So going forward, I would appreciate knowing that information."
Council agreed to keep a separate line item for the rainbow crosswalk, acknowledging the need for annual repainting to maintain vibrancy and the discretion for staff to decide if repainting is necessary.
"We repaint all the white lines. I think we repaint all the colour lines, and I'm happy with seeing it separate," added Mayor Gladys Atrill.
Road pavement markings are mandated under the Motor Vehicle Act for higher travelled roads and streets. The paint markings are subject to deterioration over the winter season and must be repainted annually to maintain their visibility.
As part of the town’s road maintenance program, the Development Services Department administers a traffic marking contract each spring. The contract provides for line painting within the Town, as well as ground-side markings at the Smithers Regional Airport.
