One portion of my commute is strewn with so many cracks and potholes, I've had to divert my ride to some side streets to avoid them. Well, I decided to do something more about it. I emailed the director of roads and transportation for my region, and explained the situation to him. I explained that I appreciated the road reconstruction that was being done elsewhere in the city, and that this particular portion was badly in need of some patching. He explained that the piece of road in question was not scheduled to be resurfaced until 2010 (!), but that he would send someone to take a look. I thanked him for his time, and made a bet with myself about how soon something would be done about it.

Well, I lost. And won! Within three days, the worst of the potholes were patched up with asphalt, making the road rideable again! Success! I thanked the director for getting the issue resolved so quickly.

I encourage all of you to contact your city about dangerous road conditions. Be civil, be polite, and you may just get your way.

Congrats !

I have had similar dealings with my local roads manager...


Some good, others not so good.