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Form
Revised: March 2001
TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION
REPORT NO.
MEETING DATE: January
12, 2005
SUBJECT:
PROCUREMENT AUTHORIZATION – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – SUPPLY OF
CAB-OVER-FRONT-AXLE TRACTORS
It is recommended that the Commission:
1) Receive information below in response to the
Commission’s request for additional information regarding Procurement
Authorization – Supply of Cab-Over-Front-Axle Tractors Report No. 9 as
initially reviewed at the Commission on December 15, 2004.
2) Approve the attached Report No. 9 entitled
PROCUREMENT AUTHORIZATION – SUPPLY OF CAB-OVER-FRONT-AXLE TRACTORS dated
December 15, 2004, attached as Appendix “A”.
DISCUSSION
At its meeting
of December 15, 2004, the Commission requested staff report back on enquiries
raised during review of Procurement Authorization Report No. 9 – Supply of
Cab-Over-Front-Axle-Tractors regarding the TTC’s need for such robust and
expensive vehicles, the expected longevity of these vehicles, and justification
for the recommended option for foam filled tires.
TTC
operations staff have a specific requirement for vehicles that can provide the
prompt removal of snow and perform sand/salt spreading operations from
sidewalks on all Commission properties (ie subway stations, bus loops,
emergency exits etc.) throughout the City within 12 hours of a storm as per
City requirements. Presently, the TTC is experiencing difficulties in adhering
to the 12 hour requirement. Currently, TTC snow removal operations at station
locations are handled by two large tracked vehicles and the salt/sand spreading
is handled separately as a manual process.
The tracked machines are difficult to manoeuvre, are prone to breakdown,
and require constant maintenance. The
replacement cost for the tracked machines is estimated to be in the range of
$115K to $125K which is substantially higher than the cost of the recommended
cab-over-front-axle vehicles.
Alternatively, skid steer loaders with an estimated purchase cost of
$50k/unit (not including sand/salt spreader), are currently utilized on a
limited basis at smaller locations but due to their light weight are not
effective in plowing large amounts of snow.
In addition, skid steer loaders are not roadworthy vehicles suitable for
travelling between locations and therefore must be transported from station to
station utilizing a trailer.
The
recommended cab-over-front-axle vehicles provide both plowing and salt/sanding
functions concurrently thus freeing up snow clearing staff who could be
utilized elsewhere. The recommended
units are specifically designed for sidewalk clearing operations. Given operational constraints at a number of
subway stations, reversing manouvers are required to adequately remove
snow. The current tracked machines and
the cab-over-front-axle design offer optimum sight lines and operator
visibility allowing the operator to physically turn their heads to face the
rear of the vehicle while reversing. The
seat restraint systems in skid steer loaders do not allow the operator to turn
their head to see what is behind them and this increases the possibility of
vehicle contact with other objects or pedestrians.
Additionally,
due to the short time constraints allowed to remove snow and ice from
sidewalks, and given the distance between subway stations and Commission
maintained properties, the selected equipment must be capable of travelling on
City streets in mixed traffic in poor weather conditions. The maximum speed of the recommended vehicle
is 30kph thus enabling the operator to safely travel in an enclosed and secure
tractor cab environment between locations.
The
recommended cab-over-front-axle tractor is manufactured by Trackless Vehicles
Ltd., whose production facilities are located in Ontario. The vehicle is utilized by many
municipalities throughout Ontario, Canada, and internationally. According to the manufacturer, the City of
Toronto and local companies under City snow removal contracts use approximately
50 units (12 owned by the City alone),
the City of Mississauga has 28 units, and the City of Ottawa has approximately
40 units. Staff has contacted the Cities
of Toronto, Mississauga, and Ottawa and confirmed the information as provided
by the manufacturer and also confirm their satisfaction with the vehicle’s
performance.
In addition to
performing the presently required winter functions, the Trackless vehicle is
flexible as it offers multi-seasonal attachments (ie lawn mowers, sprayers,
sweepers etc.) that TTC departments could select as add-on options at a future
time if required.
According
to the manufacturer, tractors used strictly for snow removal should expect
service lives of 20 to 25 years. Heavy
users such as the US and Canadian military should expect service lives of
approximately 12 years. In accordance
with replacement targets set out in the 2005-2009 Capital Program, staff
budgeted for service lives of 15 years for the proposed vehicles.
Filling tires
with foam is an industry standard for many applications and is offered by many
industrial tire companies such as the following ( ie. Unitrac Industrial Tire
Ltd, Beverly Tires Ltd., ITL Tires Ltd., Concord Tries Ltd., Mississauga Tires
Ltd., Industrial Tires Ltd. etc). Tires
on construction vehicles are commonly filled with foam to prevent leaks and
flat tires. Foam also adds weight to the
tires improving vehicle traction. TTC
maintenance staff and user departments have requested tires on slow speed
vehicles (ie loaders, backhoes, etc.) be foam filled to prevent flats. The provision of the foam fill option
(approximately $1,100/vehicle) will help ensure the tractors are reliable and
available for dispatch at all times, save on flat tire repair costs, and minimize
vehicle downtime.
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January 12, 2005
9-28-28
Attachments:
Appendix “A” - Commission Report No. 9 (
December 15, 2004 Meeting)