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Camryn Pigeau enjoys a crawl through a tunnel at the Pine for Play soft play area which opened Wednesday at Pine Centre Mall.
De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
What to do about our potholes City has four of province’s worst roads DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
It’s kind of a good news/bad news thing. The good news is Prince George doesn’t have the worst road in the province, according to the results of an annual poll conducted by the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA), however the city has the second worst, Domano Blvd., and the third, Tabor Blvd., the sixth, Massey Dr., and the seventh, 15th Ave. “I’ve provided the BCAA my feedback on the survey from last year,” Mayor Shari Green said. She added there are factors that affect the outcome of the survey, particularly when it comes to northern communities.
“They do it in spring when roads are in the worst shape in northern communities,” she said. “This is the most populated northern community, so it’s not a surprise to me we’ve got a lot of people focused on the roads. They are in bad shape. There’s no question, but it’s not the level playing field with the south.” Southern communities, she said, have the opportunity to pave all winter long. In the north, paving cannot begin until May. “So if the survey was done in the fall would it be the same results?” she asked. She sees the annual survey more as a good way to drive people to the BCAA web site and improve their membership, a savvy business move. However, the BCAA turn to PAGE A4
Coun. Skakun suggests some solutions DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Potholes and road defects on city streets that devour cars are unacceptable, but acquiring the money to repair and maintain this crumbling infrastructure without spiking property taxes will take some innovative thinking. “People are upset and rightfully so,” said Coun. Brian Skakun, who delivered a report to council at Monday’s meeting outlining several options for council to scrutinize in an effort to find a solution to the problem. “There are roads that need repaving that just won’t get done this year. This issue is not going to die down like it traditionally has.” Skakun said the issue has been on his
mind for a long time. “In the last couple of years everything has just been accumulating when it comes to the destruction of roads. I’ve talked to so many people about it.” The city, he said, is continuing a game of catch-up, doing the best it can while understanding there is a $3.5 million deficit in the road rehabilitation budget. “We started in 2002,” Skakun, who is on his fourth term in council, said, “putting a little over $1 million a year in road repaving. Now we’re up to $3.5 million, and now we’ve been told by administration we need to put in at least $7 million per year. This year is the first time administration has come to us and turn to PAGE A8