DOT crews have resurfaced 4,000 lane miles since 2014 as part of de Blasio Administration’s historic investment in road repaving – $1.6 billion over ten years
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) had exceeded its Fiscal Year resurfacing target of 1,300 lane-miles, surpassing it by 24 lane-miles. Overall, DOT has repaved a total of 4,000 lane-miles during the de Blasio Administration.
“When I took office, many of our streets were in bad shape, with potholes making many of them an obstacle course,” said Mayor de Blasio. “With a $1.6 billion investment, we made changing that reality a budget priority, and DOT’s crews have really stepped up to the task. Their incredible work over the last few years has brought us a dramatic decline in pothole complaints — but more important, we have seen smoother, safer streets in every borough.”
“Mayor de Blasio’s unprecedented investment in road resurfacing has allowed us to top our paving goals for the second fiscal year in a row,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “DOT work crews, from those producing asphalt to those putting it down on our roads, deserve serious credit for stepping up to keep our roadways smoothly paved and safe. Freshly paved streets also allow us to put down fresh street markings, including new high-visibility crosswalks that are helping us meet our Vision Zero goals. Because of all of this hard work, New Yorkers are enjoying smoother rides, fewer potholes and safer streets.”
Since 2014, pothole complaints have declined and response times have improved. Pothole complaints went from a peak of 60,144 in 2015 to 38,364 last year, a 36 percent decrease. Response times for complaints declined from nearly six days in FY14 down to three days in FY17.
This past Fiscal Year, DOT resurfaced major corridors throughout all five boroughs, including:
MANHATTAN
• Broadway (East 14 St to West Houston St and West 41 St to W 36 St)
• Lexington Avenue (East 61 St to East 52 St)
• Avenue of Americas (Canal St to West Houston St)
QUEENS
• Queens Boulevard (Yellowstone Blvd to 71 Ave, 71 Ave to Union Turnpike, 67 Road to 65 Ave/65 Road, and 67 Road to Yellowstone Blvd)
• Roosevelt Avenue (73 St to 79 St and 51 St to 49 St and College Point Blvd to Union St)
• Union Turnpike (Main St to Parsons Blvd)
• Northern Boulevard both directions (126 St to Flushing Bridge and Flushing Bridge to 126 St)
• Utopia Parkway (Union Turnpike to Jewel Ave)
BROOKLYN
• Fulton Street (Bedford Ave to Marcus Garvey Blvd)
• Myrtle Avenue (Kent Ave to Marcy Ave)
• 7 Avenue (86 St to Fort Hamilton Pkwy, 78 St to 72 St, 72 St to 62 St and Poly Place to 86 St)
• Ocean Avenue (Ave P to Ave S, Voorhies Ave to Emmons Ave and Foster Ave to Ave K)
• Stillwell Avenue (Surf Ave to Boardwalk and Bay 50 St to Shore Pkwy)
THE BRONX
• East Tremont Avenue (White Plains Road to Purdy St)
• Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road S/B (Randall Ave to Hutchinson River Pkwy)
• Eastchester Road (Morris Park Ave to Pelham Pkwy South)
• Hunts Point Avenue (Garrison Ave to Spofford Ave and Spofford Ave to East Bay Ave)
STATEN ISLAND
• Richmond Terrace (South Ave to Western Ave)
• Midland Avenue (Hylan Blvd to Richmond Road)
• Willowbrook Road (Port Richmond Ave to North Gannon Ave)
In 2015, the Mayor announced a $1.6 billion commitment to resurface roads all over the city over the next decade, with 2,500 lane miles to be resurfaced in FY 16 and FY17. DOT has repaved 1,265 lane miles in FY16, and 1,324 lane miles in FY17. With the historic investment in repaving 4,000 lane miles of city streets, the need for pothole repair had declined dramatically. In FY17, DOT filled 253,096 potholes, a decline of nearly 50% over the last three years.
DOT both procures and produces asphalt at its two plants for resurfacing and filling potholes. In 2017, DOT used nearly 1.3 million tons of asphalt.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Yes it is admirable that so much milling and repaving has been done, but in order to achieve this record number of lane miles individual blocks that may need to be milled and repaved are not being done so long sections of roadways can be milled and repaved even though some of the blocks in them do not need to be milled and repaved.
The Bronx DOT has failed to repair curbs that were damaged during the March 2016 rush to mill and repave by one contractor. A car jumped the curb in the summer of 2016 on Riverdale Avenue right where part of the curb was broken. A school is one block away from the accident site. Had school been in session who knows how many school children might have been run over at this site on a popular street filled with excellent eating establishments the students patronize.
Well Mayor de Blasio it is now July 2017, when are the curbs going to be repaired on Riverdale Avenue from West 231th Street to West 239th Street? After another car jumps the curb again, and runs someone down at one of the many, many parts that are still broken?
