Amidst a growing surge of potholes and complaints regarding local road conditions, the City of Toronto is taking steps to enhance its road repair resources. City crews are actively addressing the rising number of potholes, a situation exacerbated by unprecedented winter weather.
Mayor Olivia Chow has formally proposed an "ongoing pothole blitz" and a local road repair strategy in a letter addressed to her executive committee, which is set for review on Tuesday. The letter highlights the dire state of the city’s roads this winter, emphasizing the need for immediate action. Chow has urged City staff to leverage data from 311 complaints and assess "local road conditions" to formulate an effective ongoing response, although specific details were not included in her letter.
According to Chow's press secretary, Braman Thillainathan, the ongoing pothole blitz strategy would involve comprehensive planning regarding the necessary staffing and equipment needed for regular and coordinated pothole repair efforts. The motion explicitly calls for an increase in these repair activities. City staff are already conducting both visual and technological assessments of the roads, and residents are encouraged to report potholes via the 311 service to expedite repairs.
As part of this initiative, 46 pothole repair crews were deployed across Toronto on Wednesday to address the myriad of reported issues. The urgency of the situation is underscored by feedback from local mechanics, who have reported a significant increase in the number of calls related to pothole-caused vehicle damage, receiving two to four times the usual volume of calls. Similarly, CAA South Central Ontario staff noted an uptick in calls regarding potholes.
Despite earlier statements from a City spokesperson indicating that there were no immediate plans for a pothole repair blitz, recent efforts suggest a shift in strategy. As of mid-February, Toronto municipal crews had fixed 15,961 potholes between January 1 and February 13, 2026. In comparison, crews repaired 32,597 and 38,439 potholes during the same periods in 2025 and 2024, respectively. However, following the intensification of the problem, crews undertook a focused pothole blitz shortly thereafter.
By Wednesday, municipal reports indicated that a total of 35,193 potholes had been filled. This figure still lags behind the previous years, where crews filled in 36,779 and 59,880 potholes during the same timeframe in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The discrepancy highlights the ongoing challenges the City faces in managing road repairs efficiently.
Mayor Chow has also announced $11 million in new funding directed towards the "Fixing Roads Faster" program, aimed at resurfacing local roads that are in poor conditions. This initiative has already resulted in the accelerated resurfacing of 24 roads. However, a 2025 report on Toronto's infrastructure assets reveals significant underfunding issues that hinder efforts to maintain the city’s road network effectively.
