Article Summary

 Bill Currie, “Potholes new money pits,” The St. Catharines Standard, May 28, 2001, Page B7.

David Semley, newly-elected president of ORBA and head of the Hard Rock Group, pledges to find more effective ways to lobby against the “paradox of thrift” – the tendency of governments at all levels to squeeze regular road maintenance budgets and delay maintenance projects. This false economy not only creates employment and economic instability in the construction industry and deters new investment, it also results in much higher costs when repairs ultimately become unavoidable.

The Western provinces and the territories have received no federal transfer payments for highways for the last three years. According to the Coalition to Renew Canada’s Infrastructure, a Transport Canada budget indicates this trend will continue for the next 2 years, and expand to include NS, NB and PEI. The CRCI report says $17 billion is needed to bring the national highway systems up to acceptable standards.

A report prepared in January 2001 by BDO Dunwoody and Associates for HCARN states that failure to maintain roads in their first 12 years results in renewal costs 80 times the cost of maintenance; after 15 years, the likely replacement cost is 3 times the renewal cost, and more than 250 times the cost of prevention. The report concludes Niagara could save at least $100 million by spending $47.2 million on roads over the next three years.

Regional Chair Debbie Zimmerman supports a finance committee decision to establish a $900,000 reserve fund to supplement capital spending specifically for road maintenance and rehabilitation.

Semley advocates a spending strategy based on the US model, which earmarks 84% of fuel taxes  for work on the highway system.

Semley says there is little public recognition of the importance of an efficient and well-maintained infrastructure system, and road construction and maintenance can theoretically be postponed, while health care and education are immediate needs. ORBA has started a public education campaign on road safety issues that will be carried in movie trailers across Ontario.