Imagine pulling up to a new construction project or an unexpected detour and being greeted with a sign that reads: "Good morning, you're not going to like this route."

That could become the norm if at least one Coquitlam councillor gets her way.

The introduction of light-hearted traffic signage was just one of the elements discussed at Monday's engineering committee meeting, as staff and council members discussed the social impacts of construction in the city.

Among the items that were suggested to mitigate those concerns was a suggestion by Coun. Mae Reid for the city to begin using silly signage to offset the frustration of extended commutes and blocked roadways.

Reid said she got the idea from her travels in California, where municipal officials in that state have taken to the new form of signage over the last 10 years.

"They put funny signs up and people actually read them, they laugh and it takes the anger out of the moment," she said.

"You just have to have fun with this stuff. It notifies people, they look at it and they smile. They go with it."

Outside of Reid's signage suggestion, staff has introduced a number of changes to construction contracts that puts more of the onus on contractors: more stringent traffic management plans; changeable message signs and a move to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

Coun. Brent Asmundson addressed concerns around construction companies using residential streets as "staging areas" for their projects -- leaving trucks and equipment on local roads for, in some cases, multiple months at a time.

He noted that a company doing work near Victoria Hall recently used the parking lot for a couple of months to store its equipment.

"If they are putting them there, they should pay for that space," he said, adding that the city should also develop a more comprehensive registry of local projects on its website.

Mayor Richard Stewart offered up that same kind of anecdotal evidence, saying that he saw a pile of soil blocking a curb lane off of Brunette Avenue last week. He said there was no signage of any sort to note that blockage.

"It's not just construction. There is an element of common sense missing," he said.

Coun. Selina Robinson, who chairs the city's universal access-ability committee, spoke to how sidewalks and other pieces of roadway are temporarily patched up with metal sheets or plywood during construction work. She wants the city to use the thinnest type of replacement material available to ensure that people with mobility challenges can make it over them.

"If you're in a wheelchair, a walker, or a scooter, that is not benign," she said. "You cannot get to the bus stop, and so you've become essentially trapped."Anmore creek crossing to