Potholes
Montreal, We Have a Problem
Every year, the city of Montreal repairs nearly 200,000 potholes, the equivalent of roughly 50 potholes per kilometer. While the city of Montreal attributes the problem to the spring freeze-and-thaw cycle, the public has been denouncing the deteriorating road infrastructure for years.
When the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon in 1969, it touched down 550 meters west of a crater the size of two football fields. Driving a car on the moon would be impossible due to its landmark craters, but to Montrealers, the city’s streets feel more like a lunar obstacle course than proper urban infrastructure.
Last summer, Devon Ravary was driving to an appointment on her Piaggo Fly scooter when she approached a pothole. “There were [so many] potholes and [heavy traffic] that I couldn’t switch lanes. I saw the pothole, but not the depth until it was too late. It was a crater,” Ravary remembers. Her scooter suffered minor damages. “My body was in so much pain. I was in shock.”
Every year, the city of Montreal repairs nearly 200,000 potholes, the equivalent of roughly 50 potholes per kilometer. While the city of Montreal attributes the problem to the spring freeze-and-thaw cycle, the public has been denouncing the deteriorating road infrastructure for years.
Between 2011 and 2015, the Charbonneau Commission — a high-profile public inquiry into the potential corruption in the management of public contracts — saw court witnesses allege that colluding companies intentionally skimped on the quality of the asphalt used to fill the holes. These testimonies suggested that there was no real interest in finding a permanent solution to the problem because the yearly road breakdowns meant that asphalt suppliers could continue to sell their product for profit.
When reaping a profit is prioritized over road safety, Montrealers are left with dangerous commuting conditions. Josée Demers, who lived in the Rosemont borough in the early 2000s, recalls leaving her apartment on a sunny afternoon and taking off on her bike. “My front wheel got caught in a pothole and I fell sharply on my side, my elbow breaking the fall and fracturing. […] I sent a complaint to the city along with a picture of the pothole and my X-rays.” The city subsequently patched up the hole and paid Demers damages.
Since 2017, Montreal publishes GPS data that tracks all of its potholes that the crews have repaired. They also deployed a 311 hotline, website, and mobile application that lets citizens report the sighting of dangerous potholes for immediate attention.
After Ravary’s scooter accident, she flagged the crater for repair. “They patched up the pothole [but these repairs] never last a long time. I drove back down that same street a few months later, and the pothole was reopened.” A Montreal communications officer told the Goethe-Institut that since January 1, 2020, the city has received 2,872 pothole complaints from citizens.
Last summer, Devon Ravary was driving to an appointment on her Piaggo Fly scooter when she approached a pothole. “There were [so many] potholes and [heavy traffic] that I couldn’t switch lanes. I saw the pothole, but not the depth until it was too late. It was a crater,” Ravary remembers. Her scooter suffered minor damages. “My body was in so much pain. I was in shock.”
Every year, the city of Montreal repairs nearly 200,000 potholes, the equivalent of roughly 50 potholes per kilometer. While the city of Montreal attributes the problem to the spring freeze-and-thaw cycle, the public has been denouncing the deteriorating road infrastructure for years.
Between 2011 and 2015, the Charbonneau Commission — a high-profile public inquiry into the potential corruption in the management of public contracts — saw court witnesses allege that colluding companies intentionally skimped on the quality of the asphalt used to fill the holes. These testimonies suggested that there was no real interest in finding a permanent solution to the problem because the yearly road breakdowns meant that asphalt suppliers could continue to sell their product for profit.
When reaping a profit is prioritized over road safety, Montrealers are left with dangerous commuting conditions. Josée Demers, who lived in the Rosemont borough in the early 2000s, recalls leaving her apartment on a sunny afternoon and taking off on her bike. “My front wheel got caught in a pothole and I fell sharply on my side, my elbow breaking the fall and fracturing. […] I sent a complaint to the city along with a picture of the pothole and my X-rays.” The city subsequently patched up the hole and paid Demers damages.
Since 2017, Montreal publishes GPS data that tracks all of its potholes that the crews have repaired. They also deployed a 311 hotline, website, and mobile application that lets citizens report the sighting of dangerous potholes for immediate attention.
After Ravary’s scooter accident, she flagged the crater for repair. “They patched up the pothole [but these repairs] never last a long time. I drove back down that same street a few months later, and the pothole was reopened.” A Montreal communications officer told the Goethe-Institut that since January 1, 2020, the city has received 2,872 pothole complaints from citizens.
