York Region roads, housing in good condition, report says

Replacement costs have risen $1.9 billion between 2020 and 2021, but officials say 89 per cent of assets in fair to very good condition

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 7, 2022
Joseph Quigley

York Region’s infrastructure remains in good condition but replacement cost have risen by $1.9 billion in one year, according to a new report.

According to the municipality's 2021 state of infrastructure report, highlighting the condition of its assets like roads and housing, 89 per cent of assets were considered to be in fair to very good condition, up slightly from 88 per cent the previous year.

However, replacement costs continue to rise, driven in part by inflation, with a total replacement value now at $19 billion.

Still, the report indicated that assets are performing well and should be able to maintain stability in 2022.

The report highlights where money toward infrastructure has gone in the past year. Large increases include $217 million to support housing services, a $125-million investment to complete the forcemain twinning in Newmarket and $51.5 million in new, replaced or rehabilitated road assets.

The region said the $1.9-billion increase in replacement costs was based primarily on changes to the valuation of existing assets, plus inflation in the construction sector.

But the region indicated confidence in how much it is replacing year-over-year. Vaughan Regional Councillor Mario Ferri, chair of environmental services, said the region spends the “right amount of capital dollars on asset management” to lower the risk of service disruption.

“Maintaining assets in a state of good repair is a financially sustainable way to manage the lifecycle of infrastructure,” Ferri said.