It’s no secret that our streets and back lanes here in the Daniel McIntyre ward are in bad shape. In fact, we have some of the worst streets and back lanes in the city. As a lifelong Daniel McIntyre Ward resident, I’ve seen the deterioration over time and I know how frustrating it is to be driving to avoid potholes that look like small craters. Some of our back lanes are in such bad condition they are barely drivable. It’s no longer enough to simply fill in the potholes. Due to the age and condition of our roads, we need complete reconstruction and communities like ours require greater investment. We also need a comprehensive plan to deal with the potholes when we have to wait our turn for a reconstruction of our street or back lanes. Unfortunately, this year’s budget only has money put aside to fix two of our streets and five back lanes. This is in part why I chose to vote against the budget and put forward a motion to increase the amount of money we are spending on local street renewal. I recently began a street audit to examine the state of every street and back lane in the ward to get a better sense of where work and investments are most needed. The city has begun to fill potholes in our community based on reports received from 311 and my street audit. Please report any potholes in need of repair to 311 so they can be tracked, documented and followed up on. I receive notice of all of these calls and am monitoring the number of reports received from Daniel McIntyre residents. Thank you for taking the time to call, email or tweet 311.