It remains to be seen how much provincial funding from the Growing Communities Fund will go toward rehabilitating the City of Victoria’s aging road infrastructure.
Local governments are receiving a $1-billion boost through one-time funding to address the infrastructure needs of their growing communities. The city will receive $12.8 million.
“There’s a great opportunity for municipalities in the capital region to accelerate badly needed road renewal,” says Stan Bartlett, vice chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$.
“The city’s 2023 Draft Financial Plan earmarks more funds for local and major road rehabilitation. Some of the provincial infrastructure grant money would further help much-needed road restoration.”
Of note, in the 2022 Financial Plan the city says that 27 per cent of the 106 km of major and arterial roads are either in poor or fair condition. Local roads also need a lot of work with 34 percent in poor or fair condition.
Of relief to residents, the 2023 Draft Financial Plan, which will be passed in the next couple of months, calls for more roads to be rehabilitated.
For major roads, it’s proposed that $5.69 million needs to spent to rehabilitate 9 km in 2023. Significant budget increases are planned for subsequent years to fix 12 km of major roads annually (Page 69).
As for local streets, $4.2 million is proposed to rehabilitate 7 km of road in 2023. Significant budget increases are planned for subsequent years to fix 9.5 km of road.
Over and above money spent on street rehabilitation, last year the city spent $800,000 to fix and repair streets, including filling 2,500 potholes.
But street repairs will be aided now by a clever new pothole finder that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to ‘smooth road ahead,’ says the city.
Roads play a vital road to move people, services and goods, serving residents, the business sector,, the tourism industry, and regional transit providers.
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New Pothole Finder Uses AI to Smooth the Road Ahead, City of Victoria, March 6, 2023.
Growing Communities Fund, Government of BC, March 2023.