City council is avoiding the roads less travelled with its 2012 road repaving plan to address streets pockmarked by potholes.
Council's modified plan will see damaged sections of Ospika Boulevard, Tabor Boulevard and Massey Drive repaved, instead of sections of Johnson Street, Foothills Boulevard, Cranbrook Hill Road and Old Summit Lake Road as approved in the original plan last fall.
"Certainly the roads that we've taken out ... are less travelled," city superintendent of operations Bill Gaal said. "We've substituted roads that are more travelled, and have more impact on the community."
While roads like Cranbrook Hill Road typically see 1,000 vehicles per day, Gaal said, Ospika Boulevard and Massey Drive see 12,000 vehicles per day. Tabor Boulevard sees about 6,000 vehicles per day.
Repaving projects are anticipated to start as soon as possible after the local asphalt plants open in early May, Gaal said.
In a report to council, city transportation division manager Alan Clark said between Jan. 1 and March 29, city crews filled 7,400 potholes. In 2011, during the same time frame, city crews only had to respond to 2,336 potholes.
The conditions this winter were ideal for the creation of potholes, Gaal said.
The approved plan continues to be within the $3.5 million road rehabilitation budget city council approved in February.
Approximately $7 million per year is needed to keep up with the rising costs of road maintenance. The city's asphalt costs rose by 14 per cent last year alone, city staff say.
In previous years ,the city was able to partner with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation to pave city roads adjoining Highway 16 and 97, Clark's report said, which resulted in a 25 per cent savings over local paving contracts.
However, in 2012 the Ministry of Transportation has no paving planned within the city, Clark wrote. The city is pursuing discussions with the provincial government to expand their partnership on paving contracts, Clark added.
Coun. Brian Skakun said the city needs to find a long-term solution to manage the cost of road maintenance. He said he intends to bring a proposal to city council to investigate a local fuel tax to fund road repairs in the city.
"To me, it's a kind of crisis management," Skakun said. "We're so far behind. It's a major concern of mine ... and the people in the community on how we pay for it."
The other roads where sections will be repaved this year are Winnipeg Street, PG Pulpmill Road, 15th Avenue, Domano Boulevard, Great Street and Terminal Boulevard are scheduled for repaving.
