Traffic Control Permit

All applicants need to complete the Project Category Determination based on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s 2020 Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways (TMM).

The initial project category assessment, the project risk analysis and the final category forms are provided in Section 3 of the TMM or can be downloaded below. 

• Project category assessment 

When determining the project category, the entire project scope and duration must be considered.  

Traffic management plans must meet all the requirements outlined in the 2020 Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways (TMM).

Traffic management plan (including all sub-plans) must be submitted with your application for review and permitting. Templates for these plans are included in Appendix C of the TMM or can be downloaded below:

• Category 1 traffic management plan template
• Category 2 or 3 traffic management plan template 

City of Burnaby requires all traffic management plans for Category 2 and Category 3 projects to be signed and sealed by a qualified professional engineer (P.Eng.).

Refer to "things to remember" below for other requirements.

Applicants are required to complete the Traffic Control Permit certificate of insurance form and meet insurance and WorksafeBC requirements as outlined below:

Insurance: 

• comprehensive general liability coverage of no less than $5 million per occurrence
• automobile liability insurance coverage of no less than $3 million with ICBC on licensed motor vehicles of any kind
• the City of Burnaby is to be named as an additional insured
• a 30-day cancellation notice and cross liability clause
• if you provide professional services, you must have Professional Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance of no less than $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in an annual aggregate

WorkSafeBC:

• proof of WorkSafeBC registration, along with an up-to-date assessment payment (clearance letter)

The City may request additional requirements for specific projects.

Apply for your Traffic Control Permit online and submit all required documents by logging into My Permits Portal:

Apply online

You will need to upload the following documentation:

• project category assessment and risk analysis (step 1)
• traffic control plan drawings (signed and sealed drawings are required for all Category 2 and 3 projects) (step 2)
• sub-plan templates or equivalent incident management, public information and implementation plan (step 2)
• professional liability (step 3) 
• proof of WorkSafeBC Registration (WSBC Clearance Letter) (step 3)
• Traffic Control Permit certificate of insurance form (step 3)
• automobile liability (ICBC APV-47) (step 3)

Staff will invoice the application fee based on the project category indicated in your project category determination, to start the permit review process. 

Note: If staff review determines the application falls under a higher project category, you will be invoiced the difference in the fee paid.

Allow for a minimum 15 business days for staff to review your Traffic Control Permit application. Please note 15 business days will begin after all required documents are submitted.

Staff will work with applicants to achieve an acceptable traffic management plan that minimizes impact to all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and vehicle drivers.

Based on the scale and duration of road infrastructure occupancy, the occupancy permit fee will be determined as follows:

See traffic control plan example and resulting occupancy fee

You will be invoiced for the occupancy permit fee determined in Step 5. Payment must be received from the applicant before permits are issued.

There will be no refunds for work duration that is less than the applied occupancy duration. 

You may now implement your approved traffic management plans. We will be checking for compliance. If you are not complying by your approved plan, we may:

• provide general guidance on site to adjust the traffic control plan
• issue a warning
• issue a ticket
• cancel the issued Traffic Control Permit whereby then the occupied transportation infrastructure must be cleared and reopened for safety usage by all road users

The City approves Traffic Control Permits for a maximum of 8 weeks, or for an alternative duration determined at our discretion. We reserve the right to cancel permits or deny extensions at any time for any reason. 

If you need to extend your permit, you’ll have to apply at least 5 full business days before your current permit expires. Extension applications will only be considered for active occupancy permits. No modifications or additional layouts will be considered as part of an extension application. When applying for an extension, please include the current permit number and additional duration and pay the additional fee. 

• Work on roadways may occur only between 9 am-3 pm on weekdays and 9 am-8 pm on Saturdays. Additional work hours may be considered on streets classified as "local" or depending on closure type.
• Significantly disruptive work such as full road closures or partial intersection closures must occur on the weekend, at night or at another time determined by the City to minimize traffic disruption.
• If you need 24/7 lane closure on major roads, you may need to work longer hours or 7 days a week to minimize project duration.
• Any work conducted during the hours/days below are subject to the City's noise bylaw. You must submit a completed noise variance application, including the application fee, to the Engineering Department a minimum of 7 business days before the start date. Email [email protected] for more information:
  • after 8 pm
  • before 7 am on a weekday
  • before 9 am on a Saturday
  • on a Sunday
  • on a statutory holiday
• You must have an approved traffic control permit to be considered for a noise variance permit.

• You need a permit to close a sidewalk or bicycle lane. If sidewalks or bike lanes need to be closed, you must arrange for temporary facilities consistent with those present in the existing facility. Layouts must adhere to TMM requirements.
• You must also provide temporary curb ramps and other accessibility features consistent with any that need to be closed. The temporary curb ramps must comply with the TMM specifications.

Some closure requests may require additional business days for review and approval. Or, the start date may need to be pushed back for other reasons, such as:

• complex or long-duration closure requests
• installation of signs and hooding of parking meters by City crews 
• planning bus detours and installing temporary bus stop infrastructure by Coast Mountain Bus Company 
• providing advance notice to the public 
• getting a noise variance permit 
• work zone conflicts with another contractor's permit area or traffic control layout. In such cases, an additional permit may not be issued as it may put unreasonable strain on the traffic in the area
• missing or incorrect document

The City requires an additional 5 business days to install temporary signs. All parking regulation signs must be installed 24 hours in advance to be legally enforceable. Once you have your traffic control permit, email a copy to parking services at [email protected] to request sign installation.

Additional processing and install fees may apply.

We need an additional 5 business days to hood the parking meters. As the applicant, you must cover the loss of revenue from taking these meters out of operation. Once you have your traffic control permit, email a copy to parking services at [email protected] to request meter hooding.

Additional processing and install fees may apply.

If the road work interrupts bus service and is short duration (less than 30 days), contact Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) and provide an approved copy of the Traffic Control Permit. If the road work is long duration (more than 30 days), CMBC requires a minimum of two weeks’ notice to relocate a bus stop or reroute their service. Agreeable rerouting and relocation plans should be included in the permit application. Your traffic control permit may contain conditions regarding impacts to bus service. Cancelling portions of a route or simply eliminating stops is typically not acceptable to the City. For details, email CMBC at [email protected]. Failure to notify CMBC in the required amount of time may result in a call out charge or additional fee from CMBC.

The City doesn't usually permit the use of road plates to cover excavations and restoring lanes. If there are no alternatives and you have to place road plates outside your closure area, you must submit a drawing stamped by a professional engineer* ensuring a safe installation.

*A professional engineer is an individual who has a provincial or territorial licence issued by an engineering regulatory body.

Garbage bins or site trailers should not be placed on City property. If fencing, covered walkways or storage of materials on City boulevards is necessary, you must submit a development works permit. Write to development services at [email protected].

If you want to place storage containers on City property, write to parking services at [email protected]. Additional charges may apply.

You must have all the appropriate permits or agreements to work in the City, including:

• Minor work permit and agreement–for completing intrusive geotechnical investigations, test holes, groundwater sampling and utility locates. You may use this application for non-intrusive work as well. For more information, email [email protected].
• Standard street works permit–for constructing utility and roadworks on the City right-of-way or City-controlled or owned property. This includes building kiosks, transformers, service boxes, utility holes, poles, mains, conduits, service connections, road paving, concrete works, etc.

Send applications or questions regarding development property to [email protected].

Send applications or questions regarding third-party network upgrades completed by contractor/a third-party company to [email protected].