WINNIPEG - April 8, 2010 - Leisure Guide program registration was the most frequent service requested through Winnipeg’s 311 inquiry system in the first three months of this year, and transit bus schedules topped the list of requests for information.

Of the 454,637 phone calls and 7,211 emails (via 311@winnipeg.ca) that came to Winnipeg’s 311 contact centre between January 1 and March 31, 2010, 7,168 were to register for recreation and leisure programs and 138,916 inquiries were for information about bus schedules.

The technology behind the 24/7 311 service makes it possible to track the progress of inquiries, gather information regarding call volumes, and pinpoint what citizens are inquiring about.

Some highlights of the 1st quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2010) include:

• 3,708 calls requiring service in French
• Approximately 100 TTY inquiries (service for the hearing impaired)
• 75% of calls were for information
• 25% of calls were requests for city services
  

The top 5 most frequent information requests:

1. Transit: bus schedule (138,916 inquiries)
2. Transit: miscellaneous. (11,915 inquiries)
3. Recreation and Leisure (11,185 inquiries)
4. Garbage and recycling (9,256 inquiries)
5. Non-city services (8,838 inquiries)

The top 5 most frequent requests for city services:

1. Recreation & Leisure registration ( 7,168 service requests)
2. Parking Authority/ticket payment (4,175 service requests)
3. Garbage & recycling – new cart roll-out (2,038 service requests)
4. Transit: lost property (2,012 service requests)
5. Transit: employees, schedules, routes, school service (1,845 service requests)

The top 5 most frequent 311 Self Service requests:

1. Pothole repairs ( 52 requests)
2. Snow removal – priority 3 (33 requests)
3. Street sign install/removal (28 requests)
4. Transit: lost property (23 requests)
5. 311 customer satisfaction survey (15 requests)

The next quarterly report will be issued at the beginning of July, 2010 (for the months of April, May and June 2010).

WINNIPEG - April 8, 2010 - Starting April 9, 2010, residents can recycle their spring yard waste by dropping it off at any of the Leaf It With Us depots. It will be composted into a reusable soil-like material and used to landscape finished landfill areas.

The depots accept leaves, lawn thatch, grass clippings, tree clippings, small branches, plants, flowers, and other garden material. They do not accept sand, street sweepings or animal waste.

For more information, residents can:

• call the 24-hour recorded yard waste information line at 204-986-8888, code 9813
• call the 24-hour recorded Brady Road information line at 204-986-8888, code 9814
• contact our 311 Centre, open 24 hours every day, by phone at 311 or by email at 311@winnipeg.ca
• visit winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste

WINNIPEG - April 8, 2010 - Cleanup of the City's regional streets, sidewalks, bridges and underpasses was initiated earlier than usual this week thanks to above average temperatures. In addition, less sand and salt was used on city roadways this past winter, due to mild conditions, and that could mean a quicker cleanup operation for Winnipeggers this spring. Current cleanup activities will be expanded throughout the city starting Sunday night as the City's annual spring cleanup of streets, walks, back lanes, and boulevards gets into high gear.

Also for the first time this year, sand removed from streets during spring cleanup will be stored for recycling purposes for use in the City’s Snow and Ice Control efforts in the future.

"This past winter, the City used 60% less aggregate to improve roadway traction than the 2008/09 winter and the amount of sand used is the lowest quantity that has been used in any winter season in the past 30 years," said Bruce McPhail, Manager of the Streets Maintenance Division of Public Works. "Less material on the roadways should translate into a quicker than usual cleanup operation and some potential cost savings if the weather cooperates."

This week sweeping crews focused on the following areas of the city:

• Street sweeping in the downtown area including Portage Avenue.
• Cleanup of bridges and underpasses including Disraeli Overpass, Jubilee and Pembina interchange as well as Pembina Highway overpass at Bishop Grandin, ramps and turning loops.
• Arlington bridge, Salter bridge, Redwood bridge, Maryland twin bridges, and Empress bridges.
• Preliminary sweeping of sidewalks on main routes commenced with the regional walks in the downtown area, as well as sidewalks on Kenaston Boulevard, Grant Avenue, Taylor Avenue and McGillivray Boulevard.

Motorists and pedestrians are asked to use caution around heavy equipment which will be operating throughout the city over the coming weeks.

Motorists are also advised to watch for temporary No Parking signs on city streets. These signs, placed well in advance of sweeping operations, indicate the hours of prohibited parking. Vehicles parked in violation of the prohibited times may be ticketed and towed at the owners expense.

In accordance with City of Winnipeg Neighborhood Livability Bylaw, the public is reminded that it is an offence to place temporary signs in the public rights-of-way e.g. on boulevards, sidewalks and medians as these signs may impact on the safety of motorists and pedestrians, create traffic hazards and impede cleanup activities.

The $5.0 million cleanup is expected to take four to five weeks and will involve approximately 300 pieces of equipment and more than 500 people.