I've been riding for 4 years in NYC and this year, the roads seem in worse condition than ever before - more cracks, divots, holes, sinkages, buckling than I've seen in previous years. And we're not even to winter yet (maybe it was all the rain this summer?).
I know that DOT has a form to notify them of potholes but it's getting hard to stay on top (and to remember which ones to report by the time I get off the bike).
I'm wondering if I'm overexaggerating or if anyone else has noticed this.
Road conditions
Tue, 10/12/2004 - 8:46am
Tue, 10/12/2004 - 11:53am
#1
disturbing trends
I've been hearing a lot of people complaining on this - and I had my rear derailleur destroyed by a wipeout caused by poor road conditions (unmarked constuction zone with loads of gravel)...
Personally, I've observed enough to say that this is a trend - but of course the skeptics will ask for the emperical evidence.
Anyone want to start casually counting the holes on their usual rides within the 5 boroughs?
Tue, 10/12/2004 - 10:28am
#2
24th and Sixth
On my way to work, I saw a cyclist catch air after he went over a huge pothole at the NW corner of 24th and Sixth. Fortunately, he landed upright.
That hole wasnt there last week.
Tue, 10/12/2004 - 5:39pm
#3
That was me!
Of course!
Tue, 10/12/2004 - 12:10pm
#4
potholes
You can report potholes to the city. See website http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dot/html/motorist/pothole.html
Wed, 10/13/2004 - 7:21am
#5
You can do it on the phone too
You can also report potholes by dialling 311, but they will ask you precise details about the stree number or name of the building it is in front of, ie, saying there is one on West End Avenue between 73rd and 74th street going north will not suffice and they will not do anything about it.
If you carry a cell phone and see a really bad hole, if you have the time, you would be doing yourself and other cyclists a huge favour if you stop and phone 311 and report the problem there and then. I try and do the same myself if I have the time. It also saves the problem of having remember exactly where it is. I sometimes report them from the scene even if I see them as a pedestrian.
It is not a good thing that the city's streets are in such a shameful and shambolic state of repair with winter just around the corner, because if we have a lot of snow and ice, they will get a lot worse than they are now.
If the city enforced the 'No Honk' policy and collected the fines, it would probably have enough money to resurface the entire city after a couple of days. True the police can't be everywhere at once, but I have never seen a police car pull over somebody for being obnoxious with unwarranted use of their horns.
Wed, 10/13/2004 - 1:52pm
#8
dot & potholes???
hey, you guys should have come to the nycc, oct prog, last night, instead of watching the yankee game, which never starts until the 8th inning anyway.
you could have spoken to the d.o.t directly. no letters. no calls to 311. face to face.
you would also have had the nypd bicycle unit there who ride the same streets you do.
hal
Thu, 10/14/2004 - 8:54pm
#9
Would like to have been there
I would have liked to have been at this presentation, but for a previous engagement I couldn't get out of.
