Item - 2020.IE17.3

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council identify the State of Good Repair backlog as a priority, and request the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a plan to reduce the backlog, such plan to include annual targets and a reporting schedule.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the critical repairs program, providing a breakdown of the number of requests, repairs, and the complete road audit of road conditions per Ward in the first quarter of 2021.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the opportunities and challenges of undertaking some or all repairs to the City's roads, including resurfacing and reconstruction, by City crews.

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the plan to reduce the backlog of rehabilitation needs for local, collector and arterial roads, to discuss best practices in dealing with the management and repair of potholes, and the plan for the maintenance and refresh of cycle tracks.

Transportation Services is responsible for the planning, maintenance and operations of 5,600 km of roads. Local, collector and arterial roads make up 5,170 km of the road network. The remainder is comprised of expressways and laneways.

Each year, as part of the City's budget process, updates are provided detailing the asset value and backlog of State of Good Repair needs for all roadways. Every year these values continue to increase. Increases are tied to both the increasing costs to maintain and rehabilitate an ever-growing and complex network of roads combined with the long term underfunding of network needs.

The implementation of more extensive cycling infrastructure, including bicycle lanes and separated bicycle lanes (cycle tracks), is adding to the complexity of the road network while improving mobility options. This report includes a plan for the maintenance and refresh of new cycle tracks including pothole repairs and other activities (i.e., flexi-bollard replacement, precast concrete curb maintenance and refresh of pavement markings).

As reported as part of the 2020 City Budget, one of Transportation Services' Priority Actions is to develop an updated Local and Major Roads Asset Management Strategy to drive sustainable long-term investment in State of Good Repair projects and reduce the backlog. This report provides the context and lays the groundwork for this aspect of the strategy with a more fully developed divisional asset management strategy for roads and bridges anticipated in 2021 in accordance with the City's Corporate Asset Management Policy and as required by and in accordance with Ontario Regulation 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure.