This article was previously published on CambridgeToday.
In her 49 years living in the city, Cambridge resident Stephanie Pye thinks this might be the worst year she’s seen on the roads when it comes to potholes.
Recently after taking her usual drive on Franklin Boulevard to get her daughter from school, she discovered her tire was flat from puncture holes on the side of the tire.
“My mechanic said it was definitely a pothole…he checked for nails, he checked for everything,” she said. “The only thing I hit was a pothole and he said ‘it definitely punctured two holes in the side of the tire.”
She’s not alone in potholes causing car troubles. Multiple mechanics and car repair shops contacted by CambridgeToday confirmed they had seen more cars damaged by potholes than usual.
“I’m seeing more suspension parts going bad, bent rims, tires blown, we are seeing an increase over the last little bit,” said Dave Ramotar, store manager at Water Street Auto, adding he also believed this year to be bad for potholes in Cambridge.
“Nine times out of 10 that the issue will come in, customers said they hit a pothole and this happened.”
In an email sent by city communications staff, manager of roads operation Dave Lukezich confirmed there has been approximately an eight per cent increase in potholes since November, compared to the same period the previous year, but there have also been fewer reports by the public.
“Many potholes have formed recently because of warmer temperatures following a two-month period of below freezing temperatures,” the email said. “City crews proactively look for and fill potholes throughout the city as weather permits and are within budget on this work.”
To be declared a pothole by provincial road standards, the hole must be at least 8 centimetres deep and have a surface area of 600 cm squared.
Municipalities can be held accountable for damages if it's determined there was a failure to meet the province’s minimum maintenance standards.
Drivers must prove the hole wasn’t fixed in an appropriate time frame after the city became aware of it.
Although she ultimately had to get a new tire, Pye decided it’s likely not worth the effort when considering how much she has going on and what she assumed would be required to prove it.
“It’s unfortunate it happened and I could have probably went to the city and whatnot, but you get the run around from so many people, I just couldn’t be bothered,” she said.
Potholes in Cambridge can be reported through the city’s service request portal.