The Editor,
I can only shake my head in dismay regarding city hall's insistence on paving over our beloved lands, while it neglects its responsibility to keep the already-paved roads safe.
Instead, it would rather makeover the "unfinished" Skytrain Brighouse station with a $50,000 art project.
Due to no fault of my own in April of this year, I had to swerve to the right to avoid a car beside me, forcing me to drive on the right hand shoulder heading west on Blundell (between No. 4 and 5 Roads).
My tires encountered multiple potholes in the gravel. The right front tire exploded and the rim cracked, costing $750.
Rather than incurring an increase in ICBC premiums, I thought the city should compensate me for neglecting its roads.
I sent a copy of the repair bill with photos of the offending potholes along with many others on that road to the engineering department.
The insurance company took four months to respond with the following:
"Due to the number of roads under its jurisdiction and the various demands on its resources, the City does not regularly inspect or schedule regular maintenance for road shoulders.
"Rather, the City responds to any reports of potholes or other hazards when they arise and responds accordingly.
"In this case, the City was not aware of any problems with the road shoulder on Blundell Road. As such, it appears the City has no reasonable opportunity to predict or prevent the damage to your vehicle in this case and we can see no evidence of negligence on the part of the City..."
So city hall employees never drive Blundell Road and see no reason to report problems there?
As I write this letter, the potholes remain, despite the city now having been notified. Our tax dollars hard at work - not.
Linda Martens Richmond
