Montreal’s crumbling roads are the result of mismanagement and poor planning, according to the city’s 2024 Auditor General (AG) report.

Equipment breakdowns, insufficient work, and the lack of a clear strategy for road upkeep were amongst the things flagged as issues by AG Andrée Cossette.

“The City has not established sufficient mechanisms to ensure efficient management of roadway maintenance and upkeep,” she stated in her 512-page 2024 annual report, released Monday.

Her findings point to “insufficient mechanisms” and a “compartmentalized” approach that hinders preventive maintenance and long-term planning.

Nearly 40 per cent of local streets, managed by the boroughs, were in “poor” or “very poor” condition in 2024, in Montreal — higher than in 2023.

The AG explained that barely three per cent of Montreal’s local streets in poor condition received work between 2022 and 2024.

The percentage of streets in “poor” or “very poor” condition by borough in Montreal based on data from the latest local street surveys conducted in 2022. (Credit: Auditor General 2024 report)

Cossette also highlighted that residents ranked road maintenance as the city’s top service priority, yet current efforts fall short.

Boroughs like Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Sud-Ouest were singled out for underutilizing repair funds for repairing potholes.

“We know that we have major challenges regarding all of our infrastructures,” admitted Projet Montréal leader and mayoral candidate Luc Rabouin. “Underground infrastructures, streets, buildings, and it’s the case in Montreal, the case in all of Quebec, we know with hospitals, our schools. So we have to face decades of under-investment in our infrastructure. So we face it, we face it courageously.

“And I think that everybody understands that there’s a lot of public works in our streets. I don’t believe we could put more works in our streets than we are doing now.”

The report recommends clearer strategic goals, stronger borough involvement, and the creation of a defined preventive maintenance plan for arterial roads.

“This lack of coordination compromises the quality of roadways, posing a safety risk to users,” the auditor states.

2024 annual report of the Auditor General of the City of Montreal by CityNewsToronto

The extensive AG report also covered various other issues, including how the Montreal Fire Department manages personal protective equipment, compensation of senior management employees, and reimbursements to borough staff.

Mayoral candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the leader of opposition party Ensemble Montréal, says the report confirms the current administration is raising taxes.

“Projet Montréal is failing to deliver basic municipal services, much to the dismay of residents,” Ferrada said. “As mayor, I will restore rigor, transparency, and, above all, a focus on the real needs of residents. A well-managed city isn’t a luxury; it’s the minimum.”

City officials are expected to address the report’s findings in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.