Robert-Falcon Ouellette (HANDOUT)
Mayoral candidate Robert-Falcon Ouellette has a plan to fix Winnipeg’s crumbling roads and infrastructure without solely relying on the two other levels of government.
Ouellette on Sunday said he would create a $250 million infrastructure fund dedicated to addressing basic infrastructure needs, such as maintaining and building roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
His first step would be better snow clearing and removal from roads and sidewalks, saying meltwater from snowbanks plays a major role in feeding the freeze-thaw cycle that damages the city’s roads throughout winter and spring.
Ouellette’s second step would be to allow citizens to send pictures and locations of new potholes to city staff through social media, like Facebook and Twitter. A dedicated pothole rapid response team would be dispatched to the reported locations within 72 hours.
“We need a realistic plan to pay for fixing and building basic infrastructure that goes beyond band-aid solutions,” said Ouellette. “Making the big investment now, and getting it right, means we can reduce our infrastructure costs in the long run.”
The $250 million would come from the land value tax on surface parking lots in downtown Winnipeg that Ouellette announced on August 15.
— Staff
