 By Pamela Swanigan
Nova Scotia: 2014-’15 total road-maintenance investment, $235 million. (Major construction $70 million, asphalt and resurfacing $114 million, bridge replacement/rehabilitation $35 million). Provincial government is responsible for maintaining 90% of NS highways.
Wolfville: $200,000-$250,000/year for street maintenance.
Kings County: Less than $5,000/year on pothole repair. 22.5 kilometres of road (municipalities and province responsible for rest); number of potholes not available, but Acting Public Works Manager Tim Bouter says they “haven’t dealt with a high amount of potholes to date.â€
Halifax: 2011 to 2013, between $560,000 and $850,000/year on potholes. 1,780 kilometres of road; average 6,000 potholes/year.
Calgary: 2013, $25 million for road rehabilitation, plus $2.5 million for pothole repair. 5,007 kilometres of road; approximately 40,000 potholes.
Edmonton: 2013 pothole-repair costs, $7 million. 2014 pothole-repair budget, $5.9 million. 1,563 kilometres of road; approximately 450,000 potholes (2013).
Montreal: $2.5 million/year on pothole repair. 4,100 kilometres of road; 35,000-50,000 potholes.
Toronto: $3.6-6.9 million/year on pothole repair. 5,605 total kilometres of road (2,118 arterial and freeways, 3,487 residential and lanes); between 140,000 and 280,000 potholes.
Vancouver: 2012, $450,000 (all road repair). 1,420 kilometres of road; 36,841 potholes.
New York City: Winter 2013-’14, $127 million for road resurfacing, plus $7.3 million for emergency pothole repair. 6,000 miles of road; 321,229 potholes.
Sources: NS government; City of Calgary; Calgary Herald; Alberta government; Global Halifax; City of Edmonton; Edmonton Journal; The Atlantic; The Daily Pothole (New York City Department of Transportation publication); Kings County Advertiser and Kings County Register; Ontario Road Goods Association; CBS News.
