Calls for audit following independent report over work being done at intersections by Public Works

Winnipeg city councillors want to know if taxpayer money has been wasted on unnecessary infrastructure changes at Winnipeg intersections after an independent researcher went public with their findings.

The researcher, Christian Sweryda, is a law student who has studied hundreds of controlled intersections in the city.

As first reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, Sweryda said his findings show years worth of frivolous projects being done by Public Works. Lights and poles are being replaced constantly or moved, with no standard design from one intersection to the next.

"It's this pattern of putting new poles in and then the next year it moves a foot and then the next year it moves back two feet and the next year it's a whole different style of pole standing there," said Sweryda.

He believes this could be costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

"They'll happily do a street renewal through an intersection that they had just worked on the year before so signals will go in and just do a clean sweep of that intersection and change everything including the stuff that was maybe a year old."

A statement from the city says its engineers make decisions with diligence, care and consideration of both best practices and context of the location.

They added there are many reasons why infrastructure differs from one intersection to the next.

"Our department must repair and replace signals frequently due to damage, and sometimes have to replace said infrastructure with whatever is on hand at that time in order to get an intersection back to safe operations as quickly as possible," the statement said.

Winnipeg's Infrastructure Committee Chair, Coun. Matt Allard, said he set up a meeting between Sweryda and the city's auditor last year to discuss the findings.

"What's happening right now, it looks really bad and I can't explain it," said Allard.

Allard is now set to formally ask for an audit on the situation, “so that Winnipeggers can get the truth in terms of, you know, what's happened for the past few years."

Coun. Scott Gillingham, the finance committee chair, wants a public hearing at his committee prior to construction season.

"I'm always concerned if there's a, you know, money is not being spent wisely and efficiently and we're not getting the best value for taxpayer dollars," said Gillingham.

He said he wants a special committee of finance held as soon as possible while Allard plans on bringing a motion on Wednesday to the Riel Community Committee, which he says will likely cost money.

The audit could be done by the city auditor or an outside firm and councillors will have to debate that.