The winter’s snowfall is taking its toll on Royal City roads and the city’s budget.
Colleen Ponzini, the city’s manager of financial services, said the city has spent about $400,000 more than anticipated for snow removal in the 2016 budget, but there have been savings in other areas, so the city is on track to have a slight surplus for the year. She said the engineering department may have to reassess its 2017 work plan as a result of the recent snowfalls.
“Our roads are getting pretty beaten up,” noted Coun. Patrick Johnstone. “There is a lot of damage done by both the snow and the snow removal.”
Jim Lowrie, the city’s director of engineering, said the city has allocated about $3.6 million to this year’s pavement management program, an increase from $3.2 million in 2016. He said the engineering department will report back to council about its 2017 capital plan in early March.
Queen’s Park resident Mark Fox is urging the city to “make Oakland Street great” by paving the 100 block of the street this year. With crews having completed underground service work on Oakland Street, he said it’s a perfect time to repave the street that’s been deteriorating for 30 years.
“Safety is a concern for drivers and cyclists,” he said.
Through photographs and a video of the 100 block of Oakland Street, residents highlighted concerns about potholes and uneven surfaces on the road.
With this year’s snow conditions, Mayor Jonathan Cote said “there are a number of Oakland streets” in New West needing repairs.
Although Oakland Street was included in this year’s pavement management program, nothing has been cast in stone.
City staff is re-evaluating this year’s pavement management program in light of increased needs because of the damage bad weather has caused to roads.
“We are looking at it very closely, and there may be a need to defer some of the roadwork that we had previously planned, but we are evaluating that at this point,” Lowrie said.
