Toronto has fixed a record 110,595 potholes in time for spring, the city says

City crews have fixed more than 110,000 potholes on Toronto streets since the start of the year and Mayor John Tory says he is pleased because the number sets a new record for repairs.
 
The exact total of 110,595, fixed from Jan. 1 to March 20, broke the previous record of 87,188 potholes set in the same time period in 2014. The city said 25,881 potholes were filled between March 5 and March 16 alone.

In a news release on Tuesday, Tory said crews made the repairs to ensure roads were in good shape in time for spring.

"Filling potholes in a timely and efficient manner is part of the nuts and bolts of city activities that people expect us to deliver so everyone can get around on the roads safely," the mayor said. 

"We will keep a close eye on the situation as the weather gets better and have our road crews ramp up efforts as needed." 

There has been a surge of potholes in Toronto this year because of months of wintry weather in which periods of freezing were followed by periods of thawing, the city said.

The city said it responded by placing crews on extended hours and conducting blitzes over the last month.

On a typical day, about 25 crews are out on city streets repairing potholes. But during blitzes, there are 55 crews working across Toronto, including on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

City crews fill about 255,855 potholes a year.

This year, the city says it will spend $171 million on roadwork, including $36 million from the operating budget for road repairs and $135 million in capital budget funding for maintaining roads in a state of good repair.

Meanwhile, CAA South Central Ontario, a not-for-profit automobile club with more than two million members, has opened voting for its annual worst roads campaign.

Dufferin Street worst road in 2012, 2013, 2014

Through the campaign, the club said in a news release on Tuesday that Ontario residents can help make roads safer by letting the provincial and municipal governments know which roadway improvements need to be made and where.

Roadways can be nominated for a variety of reasons, including potholes, deteriorating pavement, poor road signs, and limited or non-existent bicycling lanes and sidewalks.

Dufferin Street in Toronto was nominated the worst road in Ontario in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The campaign has been running for 15 years and is open this year until April 15. 

Raymond Chan, spokesperson for government relations at CAA South Central Ontario, said in the release that the annual campaign draws attention to roads in need of repair.  

"We are all road users, and everyone has a role to play to make roads safer," he said.