Today, City of Toronto crews are holding a 12-hour pothole repair blitz to keep Toronto’s expressways, major roads and neighbourhood streets in a state of good repair.
While crews have performed proactive daily patrols throughout the summer, City staff are now focused on repairing as many potholes as possible before the winter season. Today’s weather conditions are favourable enough for a pothole repair blitz, as daytime temperatures are expected to remain above zero with dry conditions.
Residents driving or cycling on Saturday are advised to expect minor delays around pothole crews. The public is asked to be safe by respecting work zones and giving crews space while they make repairs.
The pothole repair blitz began at 6 a.m. today and will see approximately 30 crews (approximately 60 staff) repairing potholes throughout the city. City staff will work a 12-hour shift until 6 p.m.
Crews have already fixed more than 171,000 potholes since January 1 – this includes 7,180 potholes repaired by 100 crews during the most recent blitz between October 31 and November 4. Pothole repair blitz crews are made up of the same City staff who handle road maintenance, snow clearing, street sweeping and other maintenance and roadway safety work.
Potholes can normally be repaired within four days of crews being made aware through proactive patrols and 311 service requests from residents. When there are large numbers of potholes to be repaired, they are triaged based on size and repairs are prioritized on major roads first.
The City has a comprehensive pothole repair program and has budgeted approximately $4.4 million in 2022 to fix potholes on roads and bikeways. Each pothole costs approximately $25 to repair.
Learn more about how the City manages potholes at Toronto.ca/Potholes.
Members of the public can report potholes to 311 via the 311 Toronto mobile app, online at Toronto.ca/311 or by calling 311.
Mayor John Tory and Barbara Gray, General Manager of Transportation Services, will speak about the 12-hour pothole repair blitz.
There will also be an opportunity to capture b-roll of potholes being filled by City crews.
Date: Saturday, November 12
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Transportation Services yard, 18 Leslie St. (east side of Leslie Street south of Commissioners Street, past the salt dome)
Quote:
“City crews are working tirelessly this Saturday to repair as many potholes as possible to make our streets safer and less bumpy. This is the nuts and bolts work of municipal government and we’re committed to getting it done. I’m encouraging residents to report potholes to 311, so we can repair them as soon as possible. And if you see City crews out on the streets today, please give them as much space as possible so they can do the work safely and efficiently.”
– Mayor John Tory
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