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Pothole patching is not such a big business this spring: Fixer

The number of potholes filled in 2016 is about 40 per cent less than last year, due to the mild winter.

thestar.com
April 6, 2016
By Jack Lakey

Toronto is reaping a good weather dividend this spring, in the form of lower costs to fill potholes.

Every April, the city initiates a patching program to fill the thousands of potholes that occur in a typical winter, usually at considerable expense and the deployment of at least 200 workers.

But this wasn’t a typical winter. The mild weather and lack of snow deprived potholes of the conditions needed for a bumper crop and translates into a much lower bill for patching.

“It’s been a very reasonable winter for potholes,” said Hector Moreno, one of the city’s road operations managers.

“Next week, we’re looking at cranking up more crews for patching, but we don’t have as many potholes to fill so we won’t need as many people.”

Moreno says the number of potholes filled so far this winter is about 40 per cent less than a year ago and even lower than the amount patched after the brutal winter of 2014.

Between Jan. and Mar. 31, a total of 47,892 potholes were filled, at a cost of $1,278, 317. For the same period in 2015, 74,741 were filled, at a cost of $1,580,673.

But the average cost to fill a pothole has increased substantially; in 2015 it was $21.16, but this year it’s $26.69, a reflection of increased costs for materials and labour.

In the spring of 2014, upwards of 90 patching crews of two or three people were deployed at the peak of the effort. So far this year, the average number of crews is 32, with more people to be deployed over the next few weeks. But Moreno said the total number will be much lower than two years ago.

“The mild winter allows our crews to keep up with our potholes and also gives us an opportunity to accelerate our roadway clearing, sweeping, catch basin clearing and guiderail repairs,” he said.

Even street sweeping isn’t nearly as big a job this spring, said Moreno. With much less sand and salt used on the roads, there isn’t nearly as much grit along the curbs to sweep up.

The upshot is that a gentle winter is not just good for roads and drivers, but also for taxpayers.