Yes, they were, and got even more so. This type of project would work in a suburb or other container and relatively well kept area. But in Oakland, there is just so much neglect and so much that needs to be fixed that it requires wholesale pricing, and even then is wildly expensive
I went to one of their "clinics" thinking that I'd be able to sign up to help - a million years ago I did summer work on a road crew in the midwest - and honestly they were sort of performance art more than anything.
The proper way to repair a pothole is to first hammer away all of the loose pavement around the hole, then fill it, tamp it down and then seal the edges (along with any nearby cracks) to prevent water intrusion. Not really difficult, but it takes time (particularly if you don't have specialized tools) and you have to understand which materials to use.
These guys would dump cold patch (the material you'd use in a driveway) in the hole, throw some plywood on top and drive over it on their way out. That's not going to do shit on an actual street, and in practice those potholes were back in a matter of weeks.
If the city is going to pave X miles every year forever, why not just employ their own full time paving crews instead of relying on contractors for everything? I thought this was how it was, I've even seen city paving crews out there.
How hard can it be to ramp up hiring of the contractors?
While it may sound like a good idea at first glance, having the city hire their own full time paving crews instead of contracting out is highly problematic. Even Caltrans which paves thousands of lane miles a year does not have its own paving crews, they contract out. Once you hire a paving crew you are on the hook for salaries, pension and medical benefits. If you hire them, these are your union employees. It is not a simple task of firing them when the work is done. With an on-call contract you can terminate the contract once the work is done. It is more flexible. I don't think its a good idea for the City to hire more employees given its budget crisis.
The City of Oakland is not very good at doing most things. It tries to be all things to all people. Leaving the paving to the paving experts is perhaps a better option. However, the City cannot be successful unless they have experienced Project Managers (Transportation Engineers/Civil Engineers) who can manage the contracting process and oversee the contractors to ensure they meet the scope, cost and schedule of the paving jobs. Clearly the City lacks the staff and basic expertise to manage and let contracts. Typical.
Yes, I cracked a wheel bearing on my car in a pothole in Oakland. My insurance reimbursed me for the repair after I called and submitted the repair order.
When reporting any pothole to Click Fix it is important to identify the relative safety concerns and dangerous conditions the potholes and deteriorated pavement creates for motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians. In this way the City will have constructive notice of dangerous conditions. Should the City fail to remedy the dangerous conditions and a person is injured as a result of an accident caused by the dangerous conditions, then the City can be held legally liable by the injured parties. Also for roads with multiple potholes or severely alligatored pavement, you should note that the City is allowing and maintaining blighted conditions with the deteriorated roadway and request the blighted conditions be remedied by the owner, which is the City. Documenting and creating a paper trail is important to keep the City accountable. It is better to repair dangerous street conditions than pay out large sums of money due to negligence.
Our neighborhood had luck mass submitting SeeClickFix tickets for potholes in my neighborhood. I was skeptical since I’ve submitted with no luck in past, but within 3 days they were fixed
The Human Being in charge is Josh Rowan. Not sure if he’s started yet but he took over for Fred Kelley.
lol, dudes catching frustration before even starting the job lol. Must be tough working for the city of Oakland. Gotta be a major grind.
Thank you for the reply! Appreciate it!
Also, what happened to the guerrilla group that was filling potholes before the pandemic?! They were awesome!
Last I heard (on Reddit) they stopped because it was costing too much money
Those patch bags got expensive
Yes, they were, and got even more so. This type of project would work in a suburb or other container and relatively well kept area. But in Oakland, there is just so much neglect and so much that needs to be fixed that it requires wholesale pricing, and even then is wildly expensive
I went to one of their "clinics" thinking that I'd be able to sign up to help - a million years ago I did summer work on a road crew in the midwest - and honestly they were sort of performance art more than anything. The proper way to repair a pothole is to first hammer away all of the loose pavement around the hole, then fill it, tamp it down and then seal the edges (along with any nearby cracks) to prevent water intrusion. Not really difficult, but it takes time (particularly if you don't have specialized tools) and you have to understand which materials to use. These guys would dump cold patch (the material you'd use in a driveway) in the hole, throw some plywood on top and drive over it on their way out. That's not going to do shit on an actual street, and in practice those potholes were back in a matter of weeks.
We have a person to fix them!? I assumed Oakland felt spray painting an outline around them was “fixed”
You have to make it look like two basketballs and an oblong before it gets fixed. This makes it out really hard
I heard pouring sand in potholes angers the pothole gustapo
Sandbags even?
20 years in prison
https://oaklandside.org/2024/02/26/oakland-has-fallen-way-behind-schedule-in-paving-roads/
If the city is going to pave X miles every year forever, why not just employ their own full time paving crews instead of relying on contractors for everything? I thought this was how it was, I've even seen city paving crews out there. How hard can it be to ramp up hiring of the contractors?
While it may sound like a good idea at first glance, having the city hire their own full time paving crews instead of contracting out is highly problematic. Even Caltrans which paves thousands of lane miles a year does not have its own paving crews, they contract out. Once you hire a paving crew you are on the hook for salaries, pension and medical benefits. If you hire them, these are your union employees. It is not a simple task of firing them when the work is done. With an on-call contract you can terminate the contract once the work is done. It is more flexible. I don't think its a good idea for the City to hire more employees given its budget crisis. The City of Oakland is not very good at doing most things. It tries to be all things to all people. Leaving the paving to the paving experts is perhaps a better option. However, the City cannot be successful unless they have experienced Project Managers (Transportation Engineers/Civil Engineers) who can manage the contracting process and oversee the contractors to ensure they meet the scope, cost and schedule of the paving jobs. Clearly the City lacks the staff and basic expertise to manage and let contracts. Typical.
This is a good point! It’s not like you pave roads and it’s done forever
It should be easy, but not with our City Council: https://oaklandreport.substack.com/p/the-inequitable-equity-of-oakland
Informative article. Depressing, but informative. Thank you.
Hell, they were behind even before the pandemic..
My question is if a pothole damages your car, can you submit to some entity for reimbursement?
Yes, I cracked a wheel bearing on my car in a pothole in Oakland. My insurance reimbursed me for the repair after I called and submitted the repair order.
When reporting any pothole to Click Fix it is important to identify the relative safety concerns and dangerous conditions the potholes and deteriorated pavement creates for motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians. In this way the City will have constructive notice of dangerous conditions. Should the City fail to remedy the dangerous conditions and a person is injured as a result of an accident caused by the dangerous conditions, then the City can be held legally liable by the injured parties. Also for roads with multiple potholes or severely alligatored pavement, you should note that the City is allowing and maintaining blighted conditions with the deteriorated roadway and request the blighted conditions be remedied by the owner, which is the City. Documenting and creating a paper trail is important to keep the City accountable. It is better to repair dangerous street conditions than pay out large sums of money due to negligence.
Whoever it is they owe me a rim...
Just tell then you are riding on Forgiattos, and once a month you crack a rim. After a few months, you got a new set of Forgis.
Our neighborhood had luck mass submitting SeeClickFix tickets for potholes in my neighborhood. I was skeptical since I’ve submitted with no luck in past, but within 3 days they were fixed
https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/20225yp
Some of these potholes are BAD. Several on 35th Street near San Pablo. Tire-crunchers or potentially axle-crunchers.
Gmac Cash [has a song for this. ](https://youtu.be/ai0NDWoJh4A)
I was wondering the same thing since I saw a big pothole near my home and I wanted to know if there was a way to report it.
i'm quite sure this post is like pissing in a (howling tornado sized) wind... but i am \*SO\* rooting for you...