Residents may have noticed that some of Bradford’s local streets are more than just a little worse for wear, and 13 need rehabilitation now or in the near future with a combined price tag of almost $6 million.
That’s according to a new report about the condition of low-volume urban roads from Matthew Simurda, project manager — asset management, which council received for information during the regular council meeting on Feb. 20.
The report came in response to a request from Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott during the Nov. 7 meeting of council, as he wanted more information about the cost to repair roads that are “in the oldest and worst condition,” but which didn’t make the cut for the town’s multi-year roads plan because they “have the lowest traffic volume.”
“We don’t want to leave these roads behind,” Scott said during this week’s meeting, noting constituents had been “demanding” relief. “The problem isn’t going away.”
Based on the town's 2020-21 roads needs study, Simurda found 43 urban roads with curbs and gutters that see average daily traffic volumes of 1,000 vehicles or fewer and determined how many need rehabilitation, when and at what cost.
According to the report, the municipality currently has one local street, Holland Court, that has needed rehabilitation since 2021 and is expected to cost $457,150 for full reconstruction, as well as 12 that are expected to need a double layer of asphalt by 2026 at a combined estimated cost of $5.5 million.
Some of the streets in this category include: Compton Crescent, DePeuter Crescent and Hudson Crescent.
Beyond that, 19 streets are expected to need a single layer of asphalt by 2031 at a cost of $4.8 million, and some of the streets in this category include: Crown Crescent, Imperial Crescent and Dale Crescent.
Then there are 11 streets considered adequate, but which are still expected to need preventative maintenance until eventually requiring a single layer of asphalt at a combined cost of $2.4 million.
Some the streets in this category include: Golfview Boulevard, Cassells Drive and Prince Drive.
That leaves the town on the hook for about $13.2 million worth of repairs, but Simurda clarified that even if the rehabilitation work isn’t done, the roads will remain safe to travel.
That idea didn’t sit well with Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper, who claimed more than half of the roads in the near future categories are in his ward.
“Something needs to be done,” he said, before asking staff to provide recommendations on how these repairs can be funded.
Simurda said major roads usually take more priority and the majority of funding, meaning without an “adequate budget” the smaller local roads are only addressed with whatever funds remain, one at a time — “a drop in the bucket.”
However, in response to the request, Simurda said he can also provide more information on funding options as part of an update to the roads plan he expects to bring before council later in the year.
“We want to pave every road,” said Mayor James Leduc, but he cautioned against focusing on low-volume roads at the expense of maintaining higher-volume roads, something he felt could lead to even more expensive repairs later.
While Scott agreed there was no “easy option,” he suggested it might be worth reconsidering the rate at which the town’s special capital levy increases, an idea he proposed during budget deliberations earlier this year, but which found no seconder.
“When it comes to these roads, I’d love a menu,” Scott said this week. “What would X capital levy buy us of the existing plan, plus the gravel roads, plus this?”
In his report on the budget, Ian Goodfellow, finance director and treasurer, said that without increasing the rate at which the levy grows, the capital replacement reserve (which funds projects like road repairs) would be depleted by 2025.
In his report on the multi-year roads plan from November 2023, Simurda also cautioned council that the typical one-per-cent increase to the special capital levy would not be enough based on the expected cost of projects in 2024.
That was before council approved a gravel road framework, which would see about $2.3 million invested to pave certain sections of five different gravel roads.
