The prayers of city motorists may have finally been answered as a result of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) recent five borough pothole blitz.
On the weekend of June 25, the DOT sought to eclipse their previous record of 400,000 potholes filled citywide since July 1, 2010.
Pothole covered roads give motorists the impression of driving through minefields. Holes result in flat tires, dented rims, broken axles and even car accidents.
Motorists have complained about the conditions of the city’s streets on social media outlets like Facebook which boasts two separate groups citing the public’s disdain for potholes called “I Hate NYC Potholes” and “I Hate Driving over Potholes in New York City Streets.”
DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said “We’re stepping up [our] efforts with a citywide blitz so our roads will look their best for the holiday weekend as part of our commitment to bring New York City’s infrastructure into a state of good repair.”
Pothole and paving operations was originally budgeted at $190.4 million for the year, but due to the unusually harsh winter the Bloomberg Administration added two million more dollars to the repairs.
In Queens, the DOT has succumbed to pressure by elected officials and has agreed to repave a section of Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard during evening hours. These repairs are expected to take place sometime in August to repave the stretch of road that in some areas mimics a mountainous terrain.
The city in conjunction with the DOT has made available resources for motorists to report potholes. The DOT launched a web site – thedailypothole.tumblr.com – that cites statistics about potholes lists, weekly milling and paving schedules and allows people to state their grievances about the street craters. The city uses 3-1-1 and the SCOUT (Street Conditions Observation Unit) program to help alleviate pothole related issues.
For any questions or to report any potholes feel free to visit www.nyc.gov or www.thedailypothole.tumblr.com.
