In response to Greg Scruton's letter published on Aug. 13, I would like to assure the citizens of Brampton that the resurfacing of streets is professionally assessed based on engineering standards, costs and benefits.

Mr. Scruton states that, from a visual perspective, some streets appear to not need resurfacing.

However, the city identifies resurfacing projects based on professional assessment and technical factors such as a ride comfort index and a surface distress index.

This analysis helps us determine what the most cost-effective treatment for the road should be and when it should occur. This is done to maintain the structural integrity of streets and maximize the life of the pavement structure.

The resurfacing of Folkstone Crescent was identified based upon the above analysis. It will receive full curb replacement because it was determined that more than 25 per cent of the existing curb was structurally or cosmetically deficient.

It is actually less expensive for us to replace the entire curb by machine method than complete partial repairs that can only be done by a labour intensive manual method. Machine curb placement also provides a better, longer lasting product.

The city's Works and Transportation staff take pride in the fact that our road-resurfacing program is very successful and that Brampton has one of the best-maintained road systems in the Greater Toronto Area.