There was a time not long ago that logic factored into decisions surrounding infrastructure.
Equipped with a road-needs study pulled together by a qualified engineering firm, councils and staff had a very clear set of facts with which to make decisions. Latterly, the asset management plan most townships have as prescribed by the province, fulfills a bureaucratic obligation but doesn’t quite factor into service for residents.
In the past, failing structures would be monitored more closely, lifespans would be identified and councils in the business of taking care of business would allocate funds to extend life or replace the structure.
That methodology worked for decades and for the most part the taxpayer could take comfort that their local government was on top of things. Road work and bridges would be prioritized in terms of need and financial capacity any given year. Taking care of business, was part of the “plan”. In recent times, attitudes have shifted as the “plan” ebbs and flows with political whims of the day.
Centre Wellington, for example, currently has several bridges closed and is engaging in yet another public process to address this fact. Despite being flush with cash from the racetrack since its inception and a dedicated capital levy compounding each year, bridges remain closed. Years of neglect factored into those closures and brought us to the point where councillors seem resigned to doing nothing to remedy the situation. It shouldn’t need to be noted, but the cavalier attitudes within council and its bureaucracy make this observation a necessity – rural taxpayers are people too.
Let’s not forget agriculture remains the top industry in Wellington County, worthy of supporting by ensuring investment in rural roads and infrastructure.
With certainty, a segment of the population will side with politicians, happy to ignore basic expectations. This myopic view isn’t something new, but it is a mentality that seems to have gained favour in recent times. In some respects, that short-sightedness is why bridges remain closed, and others are destined for the same fate due to inaction. All the while, the infrastructure deficit that municipal leaders continue to moan about gets worse.
Another odd phenomenon we have been watching for some time is the reduction in speed limits on local and county roads. In this sense, Wellington County is not alone, as several neighbouring municipalities have adopted similar quirky approaches. Perfectly good roads designed to accepted engineering standards have been dialed back from 80 to 60km/h. A case or two have been more severe than that, begging the question whether liability insurance risk or citizen complaint is driving those decisions.
Whatever the cause, drivers (aka taxpayers) are being set up for stiff fines and criminal penalties for not letting up on the gas quick enough. Posting artificially low speed limits to counteract poor enforcement activity in the past merely sets up honey traps for the constabulary to target taxpayers, which hardly seems a sensible strategy. But that’s how politics has seeped into decision processes formerly predicated on engineering and sound planning policies.
Servicing land, too, has become overtly political. The pressure to grow and the enthusiasm given that task is something hard to fathom. The seemingly forgotten Greenbelt fiasco in Ontario springs to mind and the clearly political favouritism showed to some developers. Were it not for tenacious reporting, the public would have been none the wiser.
Less evident than previous times in our memory is respect for capacity based on science – wells to supply water and municipal facilities to treat sewage. Both the engineer and politician used to be very concerned knowing where the red line existed for growth. The ability to accommodate growth and have a sustainable future has been sidestepped in favour of the political pressure to grow and develop tracts of land. This carefree attitude is short-sighted and reckless.
In a more general sense, the province seems to have abdicated its very serious role when it comes to transportation corridors. Not only do these road systems get the public safely to and from work, but they also provide the very necessary hauling routes for commerce and goods.
Infrastructure is far too important to fall victim to political games.
