By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
The RM of Corman Park now has a comprehensive “Transportation Master Plan” that compiles a massive amount of data about traffic volumes, the frequency of collisions, the actual physical condition of roads, maintenance costs and so on that will guide future transportation-related planning, policy decisions and investment within the municipality.
Corman Park councillors voted to endorse the Transportation Master Plan during their August 18 meeting, as recommended by administration.
While presenting the report, Director of Infrastructure and Public Works Hayder Lateef noted the RM is responsible for managing approximately 1,700 kilometres of roadways, including many paved roads, gravel and seasonal roads that serve an array of traffic volumes and have unique maintenance requirements.
“The scale and complexity of the network continues to increase as the RM experiences ongoing development, particularly in areas surrounding … the City of Saskatoon and the other neighbouring urban municipalities,” Lateef added.
Incidentally, the report itself notes that about 74% of roads in the RM are gravel, while 16% are hard surface (seal coat, pavement or SB-90). The remaining 10% are summer roads.
Despite the size and complexity of this network, however, the RM does not have a comprehensive plan that establishes a long-term vision for the transportation system and provides a consistent framework for requests and decisions, he said.
To address this gap, council approved a motion to proceed with the development of a Transportation Master Plan some time ago.
During a public works committee meeting on October 14, 2025, council was presented a set of evaluation criteria and associated weightings for road projects which aided in the establishment of a framework for prioritizing capital road projects in the plan.
Lateef said the finished document accomplishes two things: first, it provides a comprehensive assessment of the existing road network, and two, it establishes a framework for future transportation planning, policy development and investment decisions within the RM.
“The plan itself was developed specifically for the RM, but we did look at incorporating recognized transportation planning practices and guidance from external agencies,” he said, listing off the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Transportation Association of Canada.
It also takes into consideration regional planning initiatives like the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth, the North Concept Plan and the South East Concept Plan.
Lateef said the plan evaluates existing roadways through factors like safety performance, traffic characteristics, functional classification, maintenance requirements, and future growth pressures.
The plan also establishes a capital prioritization framework that supports the RM’s priorities “by providing a consistent approach to evaluating transportation needs and identifying investment priorities,” he said.
“It’s important to know that while the plan establishes that prioritization framework and criteria… it doesn’t commit the RM to specific projects. All future transportation investments will continue to be evaluated through the annual budgeting process with our council,” Lateef added.
He also noted the master plan does not replace detailed standards, policies or operational practices, but rather builds on the RM’s existing policies and provides a foundation for the development of future plans and policies.
Lateef said that council had the option of either endorsing the plan, which establishes the document as the RM’s guiding transportation framework, or simply accepting the document for information. They could have also sent it back to administration for further review.
Division 5 Councillor Arthur Pruim, who put forward the motion to endorse the plan, said he appreciated the amount of work that went into the plan and thanked administration for their work.
This graphic, which was included with the Transportation Master Plan, shows the frequency of collisions within the RM utilizing data provided by SGI.