Ontario's Worst Roads: Tough On Cars

Anthony Fontanelle
September 10, 2007

An increasing number of motorists are complaining about Ontario’s worst roads. To ascertain which road is the most injurious, Ontario calls for a vote. To cast your vote for Ontario’s worst roads log on to www.worstroads.ca. Voting closes on the 30th of this month. The results will be released at the beginning of next month.

Just how bad are Ontario’s roads? Crater-sized potholes and shoddy road conditions have landed many a vehicle on mechanic Brian Campeau's car hoist, wrote Gloria Bacci of Windsor Star. On Tuesday morning, Campeau performed about $250 worth of repairs to the van, which needed to be in top form for an upcoming family road trip.

"That's what we're going to do - fix 'em up," said Campeau, who works at Allchin Brake and Steering Service at 621 Tecumseh Rd. E. “Each year, poor roads can cost the average driver between $500 and $1,000 in repairs.”

The City of Windsor maintains more than 1,000 kilometers of roads, and 20 percent of them require repair, said Mike Palanacki, the director of operations for the public works department. To address the needed repairs, he said that the city should be spending $24 million annually, but this year only $5 million has been earmarked for that purpose.

"The simple fact is that local taxpayers can't sustain the infrastructure simply from the local property tax base," he added. "In other words, we need help." Palanacki hopes some of that assistance will come from the $3.1 billion accumulated by the province in gas tax revenues.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) held a news conference last week at Allchin, urging all political parties to commit to sharing more gas tax revenue with municipalities.

"If you're going to take that money from motorists that money should primarily go to the roads" said Kris Barnier, the CAA spokesperson. Last year, the province provided Windsor with $3.8 million in gas tax revenues to be used for transit, added Jamie Rilett, a spokesman for the Minister of Transportation.

Additionally, Rilett said that the government spent $3.2 billion on roads and transit projects across the province this year, some of which was transferred to municipalities. But the Barnier said that he wanted to see more dollars going towards municipal roads.

Usual damages to the car include broken exhaust pipes and suspension systems as well as bent rims that can cost $100 to $500 each to repair. Such roads could also damage other auto parts such as ball joint Canada, tyres, shocks and more. "I'm sure that improved streets around here will help, no doubt about that," said Campeau.

“This year, the city will tackle about 15 to 20 roads deemed deficient, said Palanacki. "We pick the worst of the worst.”

According to the report, that dubious distinction goes to roads that are heavily cracked, have low structural integrity, poor ridability and high annual maintenance fees. Tecumseh Road West, Goyeau Street and Dufferin Street are among the roads repaired in the past year. Some roads are so bad they require complete reconstruction, said Palanacki.

If a specific road just requires surface work, the city executes milling and paving, which covers grinding the upper five to seven centimeters of asphalt. After that, re-laying is done. Palanacki said that milling and paving is five times cheaper than total reconstruction. Not only do shabby roads take a toll on cars, they also have an environmental impact.

In the provincial election this fall, Palanacki will be among the city officials hoping to see more gas tax revenues go to municipal coffers. "What we are looking for is long-term sustainable funding," he concluded.

Source:  Amazines.com