Smitherman’s Plan To Stop Construction Delays: Money-Back Guarantee For Businesses

Sure, it works for infomercials, but will it stop construction delays?

George Smitherman is offering a money-back guarantee to businesses that are adversely affected by chewed up roads, busted sidewalks and lingering equipment.

The mayoral candidate said that if he were elected, road contractors who fail to complete projects on time would pay a financial penalty.

Smitherman made the announcement on Roncesvalles Avenue on Tuesday.

“These small businesses along Roncesvalles are typical of streets across Toronto. I ran a small business and I know these shop owners get up in the morning – seven days a week and fight for every penny to stay afloat,” Smitherman said.

“They need a mayor at City Hall who understands that a day lost to endless road work means real dollars lost to them,” he added.

There are other components to his plan: Smitherman would put an end to road construction on parallel roads at the same time, with the only exception being emergency repairs.

Also, repairs that aren’t in residential areas will be done on a 24/7 construction schedule.

“Part of the problem is that in the City of Toronto, we don’t have centralized management,” Smitherman told CityNews.

“The TTC is thinking about track replacement and transportation is thinking about the roads and the water department is thinking about the water mains and the private contractors are thinking about the conduit that they have,” he said.