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written by d_advocate , July 16, 2008 (05:00:18 AM)

yes let the city know, for they must be completely blind.

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written by taxpayer , July 16, 2008 (10:17:19 AM)

I would be on the phone daily if I were to report every pothole that I see in my travels around town. The issue is , how did the roads ever get in such bad shape. The answer is neglect and the cause is city council. There is nothing exciting about spending tax dollars on roads, hell lets give that money to host a curling event or prop up an airline or any other hair brained scheme that comes along. How about a million dollar clock for CN Center or an energy plant in the downtown. Unfortunately the list goes on and on. The roads and curbs that need repair will have to take a back seat, and it is pretty sad to think that I have to call the city for the very obvious potholes that everyone drives over on a daily basis. There is an election this fall and so we are seeing some badly needed paving happening around town...but to get this place in shape many more years of commitment to roads are required. The question is , will the current city council get the job done. I think past performance speaks for itself.

City Council = Boogeyman?
written by Wolvan , July 16, 2008 (11:28:58 AM)

Okay, the council has made some stupid moves and maybe they haven't put enough money into road upkeep and repair... but has anyone stopped to think about just how much upkeep and repair can actually do?

We are a northern town and the frost heaves do a substantial amount of damage each season, then you add daily traffic and industrial traffic on to them and they take a heavy beating year in and year out. Some of these roads probably have their original foundation and subsurface concrete from when they were laid 50 years ago. Do any of you honestly think that stripping an inch-and-a-half off the top and throwing down some asphalt will solve the problem? Do any of you think that all those nice new surfaces won't be ripped and torn after winter?

There is a much larger problem here, and it is happening clear across Canada and the United States - our infrastructure wasn't made too last as long as the pyramids as some people seem to believe. Despite that fact, and that it is obviously apparent that the lifespan on roads, bridges, etc, is running out, our attitudes has been one of patch here, upkeep there.

"But what can you do?" you might say, "There isn't the budget to rip up an entire road and remake it, let alone a city's worth of roads."

Well, we better find a way - 'cause I guarantee, this policy of patching will only get us worse and worse roads while at the same time having exponential costs.

Something to think about anyway.

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written by pgboy , July 16, 2008 (08:55:49 PM)

potholes suck for sure...i hit one about 6 weeks ago, some minor shimmy, figured it was a wheel weight knocked off as they do from time to time hitting such obstacles...turns out it was my alignment, the one i had just paid 100 dollars - for less than a week before...but car drove true still, no wander if i took my hand off wheel so i forgot it...3000 kms later the inside of my tire is showing wire..now i need new tires and another alignment. i usually work long days starting at 4 am and ending around 5 to 6 and i neglected to check my tires for wear..funny i didn't notice the wear on the inside of my tires everytime i glance down to see if they are aired up...

anyways what i am getting at is yes there are some big ones, and in the process of avoiding one you can easily hit another jsut as big that was unseen at the time...sometimes causing unwanted alignment, shocks or tire wear but they are trying to fix them...i just wish that instead of giving themselves raises to take my taxes that they put that toward potholes and road repairs...

oh well, what can we do...i am sure they are getting sick of me calling about the potholes along the truck routes...maybe not, wheres my phone

Lucky Me!
written by D.K. Ross , July 16, 2008 (11:03:40 PM)

I live just off the Hart (we should call it the Indy...) and I don't have a problem at all with the state of our street. Our road looks like a forestry right-of-way that has been deactivated. It doesn't bother me one bit because I know that there are children, dogs and cats on this street. This means SLOW DOWN!!! A few potholes would be the least of my worries. The City does a great job when the snow flies and I couldn't thank them enough.

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written by Buzz , July 17, 2008 (12:48:37 PM)

I see paving happening all over the city, just like every summer. I also see pothole "fixers" out just about every day. What else should the city do...how much money are you prepared to spend to have the roads all perfect in a northern winter city? Seems to me the roads are in "ok" condition. I also see the City has had a pothole hotline to call, and they generally act fairly quickly when they are notified. We have thousands of kilometers of roads within city limits, and there has to be some realistic expectations of just how perfect the roads are going to be, given our climate etc.

Here's a thought....
written by AFSandbag , July 17, 2008 (02:33:33 PM)

Ok,..so it's the age old "raise the taxes" routine to cover such expenses such as road repairs/pot holes etc..
How about a suggestion... why not start implimenting chain style work-gangs from the jail and have these folks make a productive contribution to our city with everything from litter cleanup to painting, what-have-you. Surely something along these lines would help towards freeing up more $$ towards repairing our roads. By the way, I've personally along with many others have been mentioning and literally pleading with the city with regards to fixing the Old Summit Lake Road a.k.a. "Swiss Cheese Road". Such an S-bend road with so many dangerously eroded areas yet NEVER properly paved since God knows when...everything from children, horsebackriders and motorcycles attempting to travel it safely. Close calls all the time, NOT good.

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written by Buzz , July 18, 2008 (09:34:47 AM)

Yes, it is the age old "raise the taxes" routine. Paving roads costs HUGE dollars, and while I want nice roads, I also want nice schools, hospitals, parks, sewers, seniors housing, etc. etc. etc. It's a tough balancing act and I don't envy the decision makers because they'll never get it completely right...it's virtually impossible. The suggestion about work-gangs is interesting - I'm not sure how realistic it is, but non-the-less worth considering.

Someone's who saving folks $$$$
written by AFSandbag , July 18, 2008 (10:16:22 AM)

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF (ARIZONA) AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. See what he's managed to do with regards to saving tons of $$$ for taxpayers, work style chain-gangs just being one thing he'sactively using.
Google JOE ARPAIO MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF

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written by taxpayer , July 19, 2008 (07:52:04 PM)

Well here we are again, its Buzz to the rescue with statements like " seems to me the roads are ok" and " how much should the city do" and this one " how perfect do you want the roads to be in a northern winter city " Hey Buzz, in case you haven't noticed, 90% of Canadian cities have a cold winter with a freeze and thaw scenario and somehow they manage ok. Check out Calgary, Edmonton or Quesnel. I want this city to properly allocate out tax dollars to keep the the roads, curbs and sidewalks in this city in good condition, after all we are one of the most heavily taxed citizens in this province when you consider we pay seperately for sewer, water and garbage. They spend our money foolishly on non essential items and that has got to change. By the way, the hospital is funded provincially so is senior housing.

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written by Buzz , July 21, 2008 (08:39:39 AM)

Taxpayer, I think that our taxes are more or less properly allocated in terms of roads in PG. As I said before, there is lots of paving going on all over our city, and I'm not sure how much more is reasonable. I do think that we seem to have taken up the "pothole capital" theme as a city, and therefore all problem areas get magnified. Thank you for the geography lesson about our Canadian winters...I wasn't aware that other cities have winter as well as us. I have indeed checked out Calgary, Edmonton, and Quesnel, within the last few weeks, and I found that their roads are similar to ours...some excellent areas, and some very rough sections. You say that city hall spends our money foolishly on non essential items, which is fine if that's your perception. I'm not as convinced that we have complete idiots running our city, as I have respect for quite a lot of city staff and some of the counsellors.