Are Alley Speed Bumps Coming Apart in the Cold?

By Kevin Robinson in News on Feb 25, 2010 7:00PM

With the cold and wet weather of late, it's just a matter of time before we start hearing about all the potholes around town. But reader Dave tells us about the trouble he had with an alley speed bump in his neighborhood, and the frustrating lack of action by the city to solve the problem. From the Chicagoist Tipline:

Thought I would share my experience I had two days ago with the new alley speeds bumps the city installed in the alleys on the northside. They are made by this company. They even have an article on there bragging about being installed in the alleys of Chicago. Anyway, the one right outside our garage began to warp, and the spike used to hold it down was pushed up and ended up in the bottom of my car. I was stuck on it for an hour, while I futility tried calling 311 to try and get someone to come and help me get my car off and file a police report. I ended up having to jack the car up and hacksaw the spike out myself. I then had the car towed to a repair shop that night and await its repair. Next I have to go after the city for reimbursement. Anyone that has these speed bumps in their alleys should keep an eye on them during the winter months, or bug your alderman to remove them.

What about you? Have you had problems in your alley? Or is this an isolated incident? Let us know, in the comments!

Update: Dave let us know that he contacted his alderman's office - Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) - and received prompt replies from staff advising him on how to contact the city for reimbursement and forwarding his complaint and information to CDOT.