Ah, spring. The days get longer, clothes get tighter, and our roads become filled with the gaping gashes known as potholes. If it’s pothole season, it’s time for CAA Quebec’s annual Pothole Watch.
EXPLAINER SWERVES AROUND THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF POTHOLE WATCH.
1. In Montreal, we love to complain about the weather, and we love to bitch about our roads. Potholes unite these two traditions while also costing huge amounts of money in vehicle and road repairs. Aren’t they amazing? And, boy, there sure are a lot of them. "The formation of potholes at the end of winter can be explained, up to a point, by the poor condition of our roads, the spring freeze/thaw cycle, the overuse of highways and overweight trucks," according to the CAA. They’re the experts because, for the last 10 years, Pothole Watch has been helping identify and eradicate potholes. Anyone can visit www.caaquebec.com/nids/en/nids.asp and submit a report. Just provide them with the location of a dangerous pothole and it will soon show up on the site. Roughly 2,000 reports flow in each year. "We ask the citizens to become our eyes on the road," says Brigitte Roussy, a spokesperson for CAA Quebec. "You see a pothole, you tell us, and we advise the authorities so you don’t have to [figure out] who owns the pothole." Potholes have owners? Roussy explains that, depending on where it’s located, a different municipality could be responsible for fixing the pothole. Their program helps eliminate the need for citizens to track down the proper authority. The municipalities love the fact that CAA creates what is, in effect, a central listing of potholes. "It’s appreciated by the authorities, and it can be a good way for motorists to express their frustration," she says.
2. Ah, but does anyone fix them? Well, as of this writing, the site showed close to 400 reports for all of Quebec. Montreal had pothole 148 reports, 16 of which were labelled as "repaired." Roussy says the municipalities consult the list and follow up with the CAA when the repairs are done. "For them it’s great because if they are planning to fix potholes on a certain day, they can go on the website and know where the potholes are located," she says. But don’t some wisenheimers abuse the system by creating fake reports? "We don’t verify the reports," she says. "But we don’t have that kind of problem." Probably because, in Montreal, potholes are no joking matter.
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We’re flying from London, UK, and starting a 6000km cycle ride for charity (www.Tandemwithabandon.com) on a tandem in Montreal on the 2nd May… let’s hope the potholes don’t scupper our plans right at the start! Thirteen days to get them fixed guys.
I thought Britain was supposed to be terrible for the state of the roads… perhaps we should plan our ride through Montreal around the potholes listed!
Potholes, or rather navigating around them, is a rite of spring right up there with avoiding defrosted doggie doo and the return of Tam Tams. Web site or not, it’s something that we all endure and run afoul of at some point – ‘specially the chasms found on relatively quaint side streets but I digress. All the same, while the site is a wee step in the right direction,
I’ve always been more partial to Dorval’s annual pothole challenge (now in it’s 25th year) which actually rewards folks for their diligent observance. When a pothole is spotted, $6 is paid to the first person who calls it in. The lucky lad or lass who spots the largest pothole gets an additional $10 and, as if all that wasn’t enticement enough, a chicken barbecue dinner for four is also awarded to the fortunate soul who finds the pothole with the most character!
If you ask me, potholes are the least of our concerns. Don’t get me wrong – I readily agree that the are not only a nuisance but also somewhat of a hazard to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. Still, they pale in comparison to crumbling overpasses, our ramshackle sewer system as well as exploding water-mains and the ensuing sinkholes and traffic chaos that they engender. I can usually skirt potholes but what the hell are you supposed to do when you find yourself stuck in traffic positioned exactly beneath an overpass with a gaping crack running it’s length?!? If you ask me, I wish people would shut up about potholes because all of this prattling on about them and the ensuing gimmicks/contests (BBQ chicken dinners – WTF?) only detracts from the attention that should be rightfully accorded to our city’s crumbling infrastructure.
The pothole problem persists because we continue to build and patch asphalt roads. This material is quite soft and pliable. Near bus stops you see deep grooves in the road where the tire treads used to be. Even without outright gaping potholes you can have numerous small fissure lines and bumps where the surface has buckled because of the heat. Such a newly paved road only stays smooth for a year or two. Oil leaking from vehicles eats right through asphalt. Asphalt absorbs sunlight very well making cities much hotter especially in the summertime. Concrete by contrast as a much harder and resilient material would largely eliminate the pothole problem. Oil has no effect on it. When well constructed these roads can easily last 50 years with minimal maintenance. These lighter colored surfaces reflect most of the sunlight making for cooler surroundings. These hard surfaces also provide greater fuel economies. I have always liked the durability of the concrete surface of the Decarie Expressway here in town. We are spending too much money on self-destructing asphalt roads.
Pretty telling now isn’t it? This website denotes over a hundred problematic potholes and less than 1% have been attended to by the city. I’d like to say I’m surprised but sadly, this non-revelation simply doesn’t faze me. More frightening though is the crumbling infrastructure – apparently, the Turcotte Interchange is on it’s last legs and if that doesn’t strike fear into your heart then you’re either a confirmed pedestrian or cyclist or simply have a pretty freaky death wish. Hey, in a perfect world our city would be attentive to both the pothole situation as well as decaying overpasses but if I had to choose one for the city to prioritize – it’s a no-brainer – fix the interchanges post-haste!!!