On some streets in Toronto, drivers brace themselves for that sudden thud as their car rapidly teeters into a pothole, hoping the sharp impact doesn’t blow a tire or damage their vehicle.
The “brutal” winter weather is to blame for the minefield of potholes, according to Mayor Olivia Chow, who says the city has not been able to fill the divots as Mother Nature has been relentless this season.
“If the weather is too cold, we can’t go and fix the potholes. If it’s snowing, we can’t do that, because we have to remove the snow,” Chow said at a news conference in late February.
Potholes can form when water seeps through cracks in the road, freezes, and expands in the soil underneath, the city says, then pushes the asphalt back out. Last month, the city recorded its longest cold snap in over a decade.
“There are some outrageously big (potholes). They eat your tire and they wreck your alignment. I personally have seen it, and some of these potholes are gigantic,” Chow previously said.
Drivers can actually bill the City of Toronto for any pothole-related damage to their vehicle within the city limits (with restrictions). A city spokesperson confirmed to CTV News Toronto those claims have nearly quadrupled year-over-year.
“There were 2,317 pothole claims reported from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 this year, a 292 per cent increase over the same period last year,” the city said in a statement.
As of March 9, there have been a total of 43,154 potholes filled since the beginning of the year, the city says, noting how it is a higher volume than what has been seen in previous years.
The city says there are still hundreds of service requests that still need to be repaired. So, do you have a pothole-laden street that is in dire need of repair? We want to hear from you.
Why do you think your street has the worst potholes in the city? Has this winter made the potholes worse in your opinion? Have you had to make a claim to the city to cover pothole-related repairs to your vehicle?
Share your story by emailing us at torontonews@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location, photos of the street, and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a future story.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras
