Early- to mid-2000s

THE TREMBLAY YEARS OF MOVING TARGETS

2005 budget: “Since 2004, the current administration intensified its actions with underground infrastructure and rehabilitation work on the road network. Large sums were invested in 2004 to catch up on the delayed investment in these sectors.” It also says: “Ideally, annual investments should reach nearly $300 million a year for a period of 10 years to bring the proportion of roadways in poor condition to four or five per cent, which is an acceptable norm.” 2009 budget: “Montreal began the largest infrastructure repair project in its history.”

Road maintenance deficit:

$4B in 2005

Timeline to overcome deficit:

10 years

Fact check:

Roads deteriorated throughout the Tremblay years. In 2005, Tremblay said the city would spend $4 billion on roads over 10 years. In 2006, he said the city would spend $500 million over four years and never again referred to $4 billion. The 2007 budget said $500 million over six years. Tremblay created a roadwork tax in 2006 to increase investment and pay more roadwork by cash, but the city never spent the minimum required each year to overcome the maintenance deficit. City auditor’s report in 2012: Montreal needed to invest $101 million in 2011 in its roads, but only budgeted $40 million for repairs that year, and of that it only actually spent $12.4 million.