Despite having filled close to 23,000 potholes across Hamilton since the start of year, city staff say claims tied to damage caused by the pits continue to roll in.
As of Monday, 375 damage claims have been officially submitted, bolstered by just over 180 dropped off during the final week of February.
A city staffer who oversees the pothole situation in Hamilton says that number is similar to a record set in 2018 when there were 535 asks over the entire year.
“The total cost arising from claims submitted was just over $120,000, that year,” Diana Swaby, acting manager of risk management services, told Global News.
“About 32 per cent were paid towards compensation, and the remaining 68 per cent for the cost of investigation and administration.”
The numbers are significantly higher than what staff have dealt with in the past two years – less than 100 claims in each season.
In late February, roadway maintenance manager Peter Sniuolis told Global that about 15 dedicated crews were filling potholes primarily on Class 1 roads across the city – like the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and Red Hill Valley Parkway.
With better weather over the last couple of weeks, those crews have increased.
“The number of pothole crews currently active is weather dependent,” Sniuolis said.
“When the city isn’t plowing snow, it will have a higher number of employees focused on fixing potholes, should it be required.”
The road manager says the problem varies year to year with as few as 35,000 pits being covered over 365 days, up to as many as 60,000.
City workers patrol thoroughfares proactively looking for damage as often as three times per week, but only fix deficiencies if they meet the definition of a pothole as set by the Ministry of Transportation’s minimum maintenance standards.
“Deficiencies which meet the threshold, defined as a pothole, are repaired anywhere from four to 30 days,” Sniuolis said.
He says that threshold is typically a minimum of 600 to 1,000 square centimetres in surface area and eight centimetres in depth. However, depending on which of the six provincially defined classes of roads the street, avenue or highway falls into, it could be larger.
Drivers whose car may have taken on damage via a pothole can make a claim to the city by calling 546-CITY(2489).
Swaby says claims do involve an investigation from city staff with the size of the cavity struck and the timeline in which it developed as factors in a decision.
She goes on to say there is no specific type of damage that automatically qualifies for compensation in a claim.
“While the damage being claimed is reviewed as part of the investigation process, there is no minimum threshold as to what is submitted, nor is it a deciding factor in of itself when assessing whether compensation will be offered,” said Swaby.
As of 2021, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) estimates the average cost of repairing pothole damage to a vehicle is in excess of $300, with some fixes topping as much as $1,000.
Loss of a hubcap, a damaged tire, a bent or broken wheel, wheels knocked out of alignment and damaged suspension components are some of the top afflictions claims are typically made for.
When encountering a pothole, the City of Hamilton suggests reducing speed, keeping wheels straight and releasing brakes just before driving over one.
“A slower speed will reduce impact forces and a non-braking wheel has a better chance of ‘rolling through’ the pothole,” the city says in its ‘defensive driving’ recommendations.
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