Search Engine: Cruiser change ongoing
Q: I still see the old-style white Niagara Regional Police cruisers once in a while. Aren’t they all supposed to be black by now?
A: All Niagara Regional Police patrol vehicles are expected to have the black and white design by the end of the year.
The NRP began the new branding for patrol vehicles in October 2013 but it wasn’t an instant overhaul.
NRP spokesperson Stephanie Sabourin said the roll out was done over the normal replacement schedule.
As the old-style white patrol cars reach the end of their lifespans and are taken out of service, they are replaced with new vehicles that have the black and white branding. The newer design was chosen overwhelmingly from three options by NRP service members a few years ago.
Prior to the change, the NRP had been using a primarily white-and-blue colour scheme for more than 40 years.
When the service decided to go black-and-white, it committed to giving front line vehicles the new style. Sabourin said by the end of 2018, all patrol units should be displaying the new branding.
Support vehicles, like those which transport prisoners, may still have the older look. Sabourin said decal redesign for specialty units is being done as those vehicles are being replaced. Q: I was just wondering if you could look into what’s going on at the corner of Welland and Geneva Street in St. Catharines? Just before Christmas there was a Petro-Canada, and now there’s an empty lot.
A: Future plans for the high traffic site are still being determined by owner Suncor.
A spokesperson for Suncor, which owns the Petro-Canada brand, said the focus of the company is on remediating the site.
She said no final decisions have been made on its future use.
The city planning department confirmed it hasn’t received any planning applications for the property.
Q: Trees lining Third Street Louth in St. Catharines have been trimmed from Fourth Avenue through to the dip before the QEW exit ramp intersection. Hydro poles line both sides. It is clear a huge widening is planned, and that the deep ditches alongside the route will have to have some work done. What is the plan? What is the reason for this widening, other than for bicycle lanes?
A: Third Street Louth is due for a reconstruction. And whenever St. Catharines puts a major road under the knife, it tries to add bicycle lanes. Mike DiPaola, city design and construction engineer, said the pavement is being slightly widened so there will be a vehicle lane in each direction and paved shoulders for cyclists. The city will be putting in proper ditches. In order to do that, some of the hydro poles have to be moved back. The tree trimming was done by hydro crews because there has to be a certain amount of clearance around the lines for the poles. The actual road construction is likely to happen next year. DiPaola said an environmental assessment study for improvements to the road started in early 2016 and there was a public meeting about the project in December 2016.
The study was finalized in October 2017. The first phase will tackle the stretch between South Service Road and Third Avenue Louth. The second phase from Third Avenue Louth to Fourth Avenue still has to be budgeted and will be reviewed with other priorities and funding allocations.
Fact finder! The rebranding of NRP cruisers in 2013 was said to be a reflection of a modern service with new-model vehicles, updated equipment and a new chief. But the black and white look also helps the alcohol-sighted distinguish between taxi cabs and cruisers. As reported in Search Engine in 2014, the olderstyle white and blue cruisers had a look in common with some local cab companies and bargoers would very occasionally hop in the police car’s back seat.