Sunday, March 6th, 2011

New York City news website DNAinfo did some (metaphorical) digging into the city’s potholes, and found that the Upper West Side is plagued with the damage.  “After the unexpectedly bad winter weather, DOT has engaged in an all-out war against the potholes,” said David Woloch, the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, at a City Council hearing called in response to what’s been dubbed “Pothole Pandemonium” on city roads.  More than 8,962 pothole complaints through 311 were made as of February 25th, almost 35 percent more than the same period last year, according to officials.  The UWS seems to have been hit the hardest, with 290 complaints made through 311 that were unresolved as of Thursday, March 3rd.  “There’s so many of them…It’s very dangerous, particularly for seniors,” said City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, adding that the city is putting itself at risk for lawsuits from pedestrians and drivers who get hurt or damage their cars on city roads.  After walking through streets in the neighborhood to do a survey, Brewer found that 78th between Amsterdam and Columbus and 95th between Central Park West and Columbus have been particularly bad.  DOT Deputy Commissioner for Roadway Maintenance Galileo Orlando said that a call to 311 operators means a pothole must be filled within 30 days.  But Upper Manhattan City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said he’d like to see large potholes treated with more urgency, saying that the number of potholes not yet repaired is bringing the city to a level of emergency.  While the hearing added light to the severity of the potholes in the city, the problem is still far from over, as the brutal winter this year will probably lead to tens of thousands of new potholes for the remainder of the season.

Filed under: News, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog No Comments »
Tags: City Councilwoman, Damage, David Woloch, Department of Transportation, DOT, Galileo Orlando, Potholes, Repairs, Roadway Maintenance, Streets, Ydanis Rodriguez