Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Jennifer Chait (212) 788-8479
"I am pleased to announce the City's new Pothole Repair Blitz, an intensive 11-week operation administered by the Department of Transportation which will identify and fill thousands of potentially dangerous potholes throughout the City," Mayor Giuliani said. "Just as we have made our City's streets and subways safer and our parks and playgrounds cleaner, we are making our City's roads safer and more driveable.
"Over the next few months, DOT work crews will be working proactively almost non-stop in every neighborhood in the City to repair thousands of potholes," the Mayor continued. "This is the first undertaking of its kind, and will prepare the City for the upcoming Winter, a traditionally tough season on City streets. I want to thank the Commissioner and the Department of Transportation for designing and implementing this important quality of life initiative."
The pothole blitz will utilize a 35-person DOT Task Force eight hours a day, five days a week at no additional cost to the Department or to taxpayers. Flyers and notifications will be distributed throughout the five boroughs asking residents, businesses and Community Boards to identify problem potholes.
DOT Commissioner Wilbur L. Chapman said, "Potholes, unfortunately, are a fact of life in older urban areas such as New York City that have a high volume of vehicular traffic. We're committed to making our streets smooth and accessible to everyone who uses them: pedestrians, cyclists and of course, motorists. This blitz employs a dedicated DOT Task Force to remove these nuisances from the urban landscape."
Commissioner Chapman said that DOT will emphasize the timely completion and verification of repairs, and will ensure that high-quality work performed at strategically identified locations reflect community priorities.
Upon notification, DOT crews will arrive at the scene and determine the degree or severity of the damage. First, crews will remove any excess material or debris from the hole. If there is a jagged configuration to the hole, the crew will square it off. Secondly, asphaltic cement is poured, followed by hot mix asphalt. The material is then compacted by machine and the hole is sealed again with the asphaltic cement so that water cannot penetrate. Once the pothole is filled, the street is ready for traffic.
From January to August 1998, 12,512 complaints were received by the DOT hotline (212/718-CALL-DOT). Since January, 50,100 potholes have been repaired throughout the City.
To report a pothole in your neighborhood, please call the Department of Transportation at 212/718-225-5368 or 212/718-CALL-DOT.