It’s time to invest in infrastructure

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2023 (1181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dodging potholes is an annual rite of spring on Winnipeg roads thanks in part to hot, dry summers and extended freeze-thaw cycles in the spring. Everyone is fed up with unnecessary and expensive vehicle repairs, paying deductibles and higher insurance rates as the result of hitting inevitable craters. We know bad roads have a cost, one way or another. The question is, how do we fix them?

The provincial government has a responsibility to share infrastructure costs with municipalities such as the City of Winnipeg. We know this Progressive Conservative government froze funding to municipalities for seven years and has failed to meaningfully invest in our infrastructure, which has led to a growing infrastructure deficit.

There has to come a time when our old roads are replaced and we have a future without crumbling streets that are not being invested in.

However, Winnipeggers need to keep up the pressure on all levels of government and ensure every part of Winnipeg is treated fairly, which mean replacements must be done on our old streets.

Winnipeggers deserve the best top-grade quality materials in its road renewals because of our challenging climate. But the city needs continued help from the province, with adequate funding support to replace our pothole-infested roads and properly maintaining them thereafter.

We need to plan better and stop feeding the maintenance money pit by making adequate investments to fix our roads, separate our combined sewer system, and replace the hazardous lead water pipes from homes to the main water line.

For more information, please call my office at 204-415-1122 or email me at Jim.Maloway@yourmanitoba.ca